206 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
the Thumb, and distributed some tobacco and a 
weak mixture of spirits and water among the 
men. They received this civility with much less 
grace than the Crees, and seemed to consider it 
a matter of course. There was an utter neglect — 
of cleanliness, and a total want of comfort in their 
tents; and the poor creatures were miserably 
clothed. Mr. Frazer, who accompanied us frort 
the Methye Lake, accounted for their being in. 
this forlorn condition by explaining, that this band 
of Indians had recently destroyed every thing 
they possessed, as a token of their great grief for 
the loss of their relatives in the prevailing sick- 
ness. It appears that no article is spared by 
these unhappy men when a near relative dies; 
their clothes and tents are cut to pieces, their 
guns broken, and every other weapon rendered 
useless, if some person do not remove these at- 
ticles from their sight, which is seldom done— 
Mr. Back sketched one of the children, This de- 
lighted the father very much, who charged the 
boy to be very good now, since his picture had 
been drawn by a great chief, We learned that 
they prize pictures very highly, and esteem any 
they can get, however badly executed, as efficient 
narn They were unable to give us any infor 
mation respecting the country beyond the Atha~ 
basea Lake, which is the boundary of their pere- 
* 
