NORTHERN OCEAN. 
In the night, one of Matonabbee’s wives and 
103 
1771. 
another woman eloped: it was fuppofed they fg 
“svent off to the Eaftward, in order to meet their 
former hufbands, from whom they had been 
fometime before taken by force. This affair made 
more noife and buftle than I could have fuppof- 
ed; and Matonabbee feemed entirely difconcert- 
ed, and quite inconfolable for the lofs of his wife. 
She was certainly by far the handfomeft of all his 
flock, of a moderate fize, and had a fair complex- 
ion; fhe apparently poflefled a mild temper, and 
very engaging manners. In fat, fhe feemed to 
have every good quality that could be expected in 
a Northern Indian woman, and that could render 
her an agreeable companion to an inhabitant of 
this part of the world. She had not, however, 
appeared happy in her late fituation ; and chofe 
rather to be the fole wife of a fprightly young 
fellow of no note, (though very capable of main- 
taining her,) than to have the feventh or eighth 
fhare of the affection of the greatef{t man in the 
country. J am forry to mention an incident which 
happened while we were building the canoes at 
Clowey, and which by no means does honour to 
Matonabbee: it is no lefs a crime than that of 
having actually flabbed the hufband of the above- 
mentioned girl in three places; and had it not 
been for timely affiftance, would certainly have 
murdered him, for no other reafon than becaufe 
the poor man had fpoken difrefpectfully of him 
for having taken his wife away by force. The cool 
deliberation 
