SOURCE OP ST. PETER S RIVER. 45 



The cliaracter of the Bois brule countenance is peculiar. 

 Their eyes are small, black, and piercing; their hair ge- 

 nerally long, not unfrequently curled, and of the deepest 

 black ; their nose is short and turned up ; their mouth 

 wide; their teeth good; their complexion of a deep olive, 

 which varies according to the quantity of Indian blood 

 which they have in them. They are smart, active, excel- 

 lent runners. One of them, we were told, often chased the 

 buffalo on foot ; we did not, however, see him do it. This 

 man had a handsome, well-proportioned figure, of which Mr. 

 Seymour took a sketch. He was very strong, and was known 

 to have three times discharged, from his bow, an arrow, 

 which, after perforating one bufialo, had killed a second ; 

 an achievement which is sometimes performed by Indi- 

 ans, thonigh it is rare, as it requires great muscular strength. 

 Their countenance is full of expression, which partakes of 

 cunning and malice. When angry, it assumes all the force 

 of the Indian features, and denotes perhaps more of the 

 demoniac spirit than is generally met with, even in the 

 countenance of the aborigines. 



The great mixture of nations, which consist of English, 

 Scotch, French, Italians, Germans, Swiss, united with In- 

 dians of different tribes, viz. Chippewas, Crees, Dacotas, 

 &c. has been unfavourable to the state of their morals ; for, 

 as is generally the case, they have been more prone to 

 imitate the vices than the virtues of eacli stock ; we can 

 therefore ascribe to this combination of heterogeneous in- 

 gredients, but a very low rank in the scale of civilization. 

 They are but little superior to the Indians themselves. 

 Their cabins are built, however, with a little more art ; 

 they cultivate small fields of wheat, maize, barley, potatoes, 

 turnips, tobacco, &c. A few of the more respectable inhabi- 

 tants keep cows and attend to agriculture, but we saw neither 



Vol. II. 7 



