14 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



ribs. This tribe, unlike the Chipewyans and 

 Copper Indians, had preserved that useful as- 

 sociate of man, although from their frequent in- 

 tercourse with the latter people, they were not 

 ignorant of the prediction alluded to in a former 

 page. One of our interpreters was immediately 

 despatched, with an Indian, to endeavour to trace 

 out the Dog-ribs, whom he supposed might be 

 concealed in the neighbourhood from their dread 

 of the Copper Indians ; although we had no doubt 

 of their coming to us, were they aware of our 

 being here. The interpreter, however, returned 

 without having discovered any traces of strange 

 Indians; a circumstance which led us to con- 

 clude, that the dog had strayed from his masters 

 a considerable time since. 



Towards the end of the month the men com- 

 pleted their house, and took up their abode in it. 

 It was thirty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide ; 

 was divided into two apartments, and was placed 

 at right angles to the officers' dwelling, and facing 

 the store-house: the three buildings forming three 

 sides of a quadrangle. 



On the 26th Akaitcho and his party arrived, 

 the hunting in this neighbourhood being termi- 

 nated for the season, by the deer having retired to 

 the southward to shelter themselves in the woods, 



The arrival of this large party was a seriou. 



