174 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



Junius across the river to look for the runaways, 

 but their search was fruitless. They put a few 

 pieces of iron and trinkets in their canoes, which 

 were lying on the beach. We also sent some 

 men to put up the stages offish, and secure them 

 as much as possible from the attacks of the dogs. 

 Under the covering of their tents were observed 

 some stone kettles and hatchets, a few fish spears 

 made of copper, two small bits of iron, a quantity 

 of skins, and some dried salmon, which was 

 covered with maggots, and half putrid. The 

 entrails of the fish were spread out to dry. A 

 great many skins of small birds were hung up to 

 a stage, and even two mice were preserved in the 

 same way. Thus it would appear that the neces- 

 sities of these poor people induce them to pre- 

 serve every article that can be possibly used as 

 food. Several human skulls which bore the 

 marks of violence, and many bones were strewed 

 about the ground near to the encampment, and as 

 the spot exactly answers the description given by 

 Mr. Hearne, of the place where the Chipewyans 

 who accompanied him perpetrated the dreadful 

 massacre on the Esquimaux, we had no doubt of 

 this being the place, notwithstanding the dif- 

 ference in its position as to latitude and longitude 

 given by him, and ascertained by our observa- 

 tion. We have, therefore, preserved the appel- 



