192 ARRIVAL OF INDIANS. 



succour from us which we could not afford but 

 through the means of their own countrymen. 

 Indifferent to the sufferings of those around them, 

 the hale hunters move with the activity almost of 

 the animal they pursue; trusting to the humanity 

 of the white man to sustain the infirm or sinking 

 members of their family. In a long settled post, 

 the resources of which are constant, this may be 

 tolerated, so long as it does not amount to 

 imposition ; but in our situation, cramped as we 

 were already beginning to be in our means, it 

 was easy to foresee that the injudicious en- 

 couragement of such a practice would involve us 

 in inextricable difficulties. With this conviction, 

 I resolved not to yield to it ; and, though the 

 applicants never left us altogether unsolaced or 

 empty-handed, they were not permitted to remain 

 on the ground. Wherever a station is established, 

 not only the diseased, who come from necessity, 

 but swarms of other visitors, immediately repair 

 to it, — women and children, old and idle, seek- 

 ing what they can get, or actuated by curiosity, 

 or, as they say, " coming to see their relations," 

 by that term meaning the half-breed women who 

 are the partners of the voyageurs. Fortunately 

 we had none of these relations, and were there- 

 fore free from the unwelcome civilities of their 

 kinsmen of the forest. To be sure, when an 

 excuse is wanted for a visit, they are not par- 



