48 A JOURNEY TO THE 
1770. me and my companions of almoft every ufeful ar- 
i~— ticle we had, among which was my gun; and 
5 aa notwithftanding we were then on the point of 
returning to the Factory, yet, as one of my com- 
panions’ guns was a little out of order, the lofs 
was likely to be feverely felt ; but it not being 
in my power to recover it again, we were oblig- 
ed to reft contented. 
Nothing can exceed the cool deliberation of 
thofe villains; a committee of them entered my 
tent*. The ringleader feated himfelf on my left- 
hand. They firft begged me to lend them my 
fkipertogan + to fill a pipe of tobacco. After 
fmoking two or three pipes, they afked me for 
feveral articles which I had not, and among others 
for a pack of cards; but on my anfwering that I 
had not any of the articles they mentioned, one 
of them put his hand on my baggage, and afked 
if it was mine. Before I could anfwer in the af- 
firmative, he and the reft of his companions (fix 
in number) had all my treafure fpread on the 
ground. One took one thing, and another ano- 
ther, till at laft nothing was left but the empty 
bag, which they permitted me to keep. At 
SH length 
* This only confifted of three walking-fticks ftuck into the ground, 
and a blanket thrown over them. 
+ Skipertogan is a fmall bag that contains a flint and fteel, alfo a pipe 
and tobacco, as well as touchwood, &c, for making a fire. Some of thefe 
bags may be called truly elegant; being richly ornamented with beads, — 
porcupine-quills, morfe-hair, &c, a work always performed by the wo- 
men; and they are, with much propriety, greatly efteemed by moft Ep- 
ropeans for the neatnefs of their woikmanthip, 
