SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 327, 



her that their intentions were friendly ; and Renville in- 

 formed the gentlemen that no offence could be taken at 

 their intrusion in the house, as they were travelling in an 

 official capacity, but that if other Indians, or voyagers that 

 were not known, had taken that liberty, it would have 

 been held highly improper. There was something grati- 

 fying and yet melancholy in the recollection that we had 

 thus for awhile bid adieu to civilization, and that before 

 us we had none but a wide and untravelled land, where no 

 white men resided except such as had forsworn their coun- 

 try and the friends of their youth ; who either out of aver- 

 sion from society or for the sake of lucre had withdrawn 

 from its social circle, to dwell in the midst of the unci- 

 vilized tenants of the forest. It was while indulging in these 

 reflections, by the light of a few embers, that we received 

 this unexpected visit from the owner of the lodge. Her 

 wrinkled brow, her decrepid mien, her slovenly appearance, 

 gave her a somewhat terrifying aspect, as seen by the un- 

 certain light that played upon her haggard features ; her 

 shrill voice contributed also to heighten the awfulness of 

 this untimely visitor ; but our interpreter having explain- 

 ed to us the object of her visit, we had leisure to observe 

 her companions, who were two of her grand-daughters ; 

 these were as handsome and as good looking as Indian fe- 

 males can probably be ; they were young, about fifteen or 

 sixteen ; their complexion was so light that we could 

 scarcely credit the assertion of our guide that they were 

 full-blooded Indians; their features were regular; the large 

 dark eye which distinguished the elder would have been 

 deemed beautiful any where ; their forms, which were 

 good, were perhaps taller than those which we usually 

 found among Indian women. But what added most to 

 their charms, was the gay, good-humoured appearance 



