INTRODUCTION. 



that Mr. Hearne had travelled near thirteen hundred miles 

 before he arrived at the fea. His moil Wellern diftance 

 from the coafl of Hudfon's Bay was near fix hundred 

 miles * ; and that his Indian guides were well apprized of 

 a vafl tra<5l of continent ftretching farther on in that direc- 

 tion, is certain from many circumflances mentioned in his 

 journal ; one of which, as befides eftablifliing this fad, it pre- 

 fents us with a very ftriking pidlure of favage life, has been 

 tranfcribed in the following note -f-. 



What 



* The Hudfon's Bay company have a trading poft called Hudfon's Houfe, above 

 five hundred miles up the country, in lat. 53° 0' 32", and in long. ic6' 27' 30". 



t This day, Jan. 11, 1772, as the Indians vi'ere hunting, fome of them faw a 

 ftrange fnow-ihoe track, which they followed, and at a confiderable diftance came to 

 a little hut, where they found a young woman fitting alone. They brought her to the 

 tents J and, on examining her, found that fhe was one of the Weftern £)<?^-n^^^i Indians, 

 and had been taken prifoner by l\\tArathapefcowlnA\dim in the fummer 1770 ; and when 

 the Indians, who took her prifoner, were near this part in the fummer 1771, fhe eloped 

 from them, with an intent to return to her own country ; but it being fo far off, and, 

 after being taken prifoner, having come the whole way in canoes, with the winding 

 of rivers and lakes, fhe had forgot the way ; and had been in this little hut ever fince 

 the firft fetting in of the fall. By her account of the moons part, fince her elope- 

 ment, it appears to be the middle of lafl: July when fhe left the Arathapefcow Indians, 

 and had not feen a human face ever fince. She fupported herfelf very well by fnaring 

 of rabbits, partridges, and fquirrels, and was now in good health and flefli ; and, I 

 think, as fine a woman of a real Indian, as I have feen in any part of North Ame- 

 rica. She had nothing to make fnares of but the finews of rabbits legs and feet, which 

 fhe twifted together for that purpofe ; and of the rabbits flcins had made hcrf;:rlf a neat 

 and warm winter's clothing. The flock of materials fhe took with her when fhe 

 eloped, confided of about five inches of an iron hoop for a knife ; a flone fi:eel, and 

 other hard ftones as flints, together with other fire tackle, as tiiiJcr, &c. ; about an 

 inch and half of the fhank of the fhoeing of an arrow, of iron, of which fhe made an 

 awl. She had not been long at the tents, when half a fcore of men wreflled to fee 

 who fhould have her for their wife. She fays, when the Arathapefcow Indians took 

 her prifoner, that they flole on the tents in the night, when the inhabitants were all 

 afleep, and killed every foul except herfelf and three other young v/omen. Her father, 

 mother, and hufband were in the fame tent with her, and they were all killed. Her 

 child, of about five months old, fhe took with her, wrapped in a bundle of her cloth, 

 ing, undifcovered, in the night. But when arrived at the place where the Aratha- 

 pefcows had left their wives, which was not far off, it being then day-break, thefe 

 § - Indian 



