AFFECTION FOR PARENTS. 17 



and a general movement to the hunting-ground 

 ensues. If, on their march, the craving multitude 

 discover a hoard of meat stored up by any of the 

 hunting parties, it is devoured on the spot ; but 

 they are not always so fortunate. Before they 

 reach the scene of anticipated abundance, the deer 

 may have gone off, followed by the hunters, with 

 uncertain hopes of overtaking them, and nothing re- 

 mains for the hungry throng, including the old and 

 the lame, but to retrace their steps, with the pro- 

 spect of many of them perishing by the way, should 

 their stock of food have been quite exhausted. 

 Such occurrences are by no means rare ; they 

 came several times under our immediate notice 

 during our winter residence at Fort Confidence, 

 and similar facts are recorded by Mr. Simpson of 

 the same tribe. This gentleman expresses his 

 opinion that the charge made against this nation, 

 of abandoning their infirm aged people and chil- 

 dren, had its origin in the sauve qui pent cry raised 

 during a forced retreat from some one of these 

 most injudicious excursions ; and I am inclined 

 fully to agree with him ; for I witnessed several 

 unquestionable instances of tenderness and affection 

 shown by children to their parents, and of com- 

 pliance with their whims, much to their own per- 

 sonal inconvenience. The grief they show on the 

 loss of a parent is often great and of long conti- 



VOL. II. c 



