118 THE LABRADOR PENINSULA. chap, xxvni. 



half-civilised or settled Indians of Upper and Lower 

 Canada, but produced little that was not previously- 

 known of the nomadic Montagnais and Nasquapee 

 tribes of the Great Labrador Peninsula. 



Speaking of the Montagnais of the Saugenay, Mr. D. E. 

 Price, M.P.P., states in his evidence, that these Indians 

 have all embraced Christianity ; that they read and write 

 among themselves on bark and wood, and a few use the 

 pen, while some of them show a little inclination to 

 cultivate the soil. ' However, with the pure Indian it is 

 not his nature to till, and the chances are, this tribe, 

 which is very remarkable for having retained their purity 

 of native blood and savage indolence of the desert, will 

 never till the soil, and will gradually become extinct, if 

 they locate in their present hunting-ground, by epidemics, 

 in contact with the white man, or retreat farther back, 

 wdiich hitherto they never have done ; as it is a strong 

 principle of theirs never to encroach upon one another's 

 hunting-ground, and more particularly that of another 

 tribe. 



' They have fallen off very much during the last ten 

 years since the Saugenay has been settled ; at lea^t three 

 hundred souls have died, one half nearly of starvation in 

 the woods, others from fever and small-pox, which 

 spreads like wild-fire among them when once contracted.'* 



* The aiuoiint of furs traded by this tribe has averaged in value o\'er 

 8,500/. for the past four years, aud, for the six years preceding-, at least 

 5,000/. per annum. Many owe large amounts to the Company, others 

 less ; and some of the best himters have large amounts at their credits. 



The Conipanj' here trade by ' castors,' which they change in value to 

 suit their own purposes, from Or/, to 2«. 6d., so that no one but the clerk 

 knows what he values them at ; as, for instance, one day a ' castor " 



