168 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
in this department within the few last years. 
The following notice of these Indians is extracted 
from Dr. Richardson’s Journal : 
“ The Asseenaboine, termed by the Crees As- 
seeneepoytuck, or Stone Indians, are a tribe of 
Sioux, who speak a dialect of the Iroquois, one 
of the great divisions under which the American 
philologists have classed the known dialects of 
the Aborigines of North America, The Stone 
Indians, or, as they name themselves, Eascab, 
originally entered this part of the country under _ 
~ the protection of the Crees, and in concert with 
them attacked and drove to the westward the. 
former inhabitants of the banks of the Saskatcha- 
wan. They are still the allies of the Crees, but 
have now become more numerous than their 
former protectors. They exhibit all the bad qua- 
lities ascribed to the Mengwe or Iroquois, ‘the 
stock from whence they are sprung. Of their 
actual number I could obtain no precise informa- 
tion, but it is very great. The Crees who inhabit 
the plains, being fur hunters are better known to 
the traders. 
“ They are divided into two distinct bands, 
the Ammisk-watcheéthinyoowuc or Beaver Hill 
Crees, who have about forty tents, and the Sacka- 
oe or Thick Wood Crees, who have 
thirty: The tents avérage nearly ten in- 
* 
