142 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. ix. 



turbulent, they had leisure to develop some of the better quali- 

 ties often attributed to the American savage, and to invent 

 those curious mystic ceremonies appropriate to the seasons, which 

 among; the Mandans of the upper Missouri, according; to Catlin, 

 had assumed great complexity and an elaborate symbolism. The 

 'plain Crees, or those inhabiting the northern margin of the prai- 

 ries, were not so warlike nor physically so well formed as their 

 southern neighbours, though, coming first in contact with the 

 whites, and supplying themselves with fire-arms, then utiknowa 

 to the wilder tribes, they were for a time able completely to turn 

 the tables on their ancient enemies, and carried their conquests 

 far and wide. At the present day matters are again reversed, 

 for the Crees, still supplied by the Hudson Bay Company with 

 the venerable flint lock musket, meet the southern tribes who 

 trade on the Missouri, and are frequently able to afford to aim 

 themselves with the best breech-loaders. In this region, one may 

 see in a single tribe every stage in perfection of arms exemplified, 

 from the bow with arrows tipped with hoop iron to the Win- 

 chester-Henry repeating rifle. It is worthy of note, in tiiis con- 

 nection, that while the Indians may be much more formidable 

 with improved rifles, I have heard them complain that they are 

 really more at the mercy of the whites, for, on the outbreak of 

 hostilities, measures are taken to prevent them from obt.iining 

 suitable cartridges, which they are, of course, utterly unable to 

 make for themselves. The woodland or thick-wood Crees much 

 resemble in habits and appearance the other western tribes of the 

 Algonkins. 



North of all these, is still another entirely distinct family of 

 Indians, the Tinneh, Athabascans, or Chipewyans. These in- 

 habitants of the true "Wild North Land," are divided into many 

 tribes and sets, speaking dialects more or less diverse. From 

 Churchill and the western shores of Hudson Bay they stretch 

 northward to the Esquimaux of the Arctic coast, people the 

 valley oi' the Mackenzie, the great almost unknown interior of 

 Alaska, and southward in the interior region of British Columbia 

 as far as the Chilcotin River. Remnants of the same people are 

 found scattered among other tribes far to the south, giving rise 

 to interesting questions as to their pre-historic distribution ; but 

 the region still entirely occupied by them in the north is truly 

 vast, being not less than 4,000 miles in extent from south-east to 

 nortVi-west. Within their domain are the Barren Grounds, 



