238 STRANGE CONDUCT OF TWO INDIANS. 



the fire for full two days, receiving merely 

 such scraps of food as we could spare them. It 

 so happened that at the end of that time, Mau- 

 felly arrived with a load of meat, which the 

 others no sooner saw, than they drew out fifteen 

 tongues from a bag hitherto concealed, and 

 placed them on the table without any remark, 

 though we passed and repassed several times. 

 The conclusion was, that they had as many deer 

 in cache, and only wanted somebody to fetch 

 them. When taxed with the folly of their 

 conduct in so serious a case as ours, they an- 

 swered carelessly that it was their custom, and 

 still cried " Etthen oolah — etthen tahoutai." 

 Hoping that there was now a probability of our 

 obtaining regular supplies from the two parties, 

 I was less fearful of increasing my party, and 

 directed four men to come immediately from 

 the fishery, and assist in sledging the meat to 

 the house. The deer were accordingly brought ; 

 yet before this welcome labour was completed, 

 I had the mortification of receiving from the 

 Indians on whom I had mainly depended, the 

 unwelcome tidings that the animals had again 

 dispersed they knew not whither, but that they 

 would give us notice as soon as they had any 

 thing to send. 



March 13th. — The men, who had been 

 latterly subsisting on a single fish a day, arrived 

 according to their instructions ; and that there 



