NORTHERN OCEAN. 
149 
and at a confiderable diftance from any fall. Ac- i771, 
cordingly, after the Indians had put all their guns, 
{pears, targets, &c. in good order, we crofled the 
river, which took up fome time. 
When we arrived on the Weft fide of the river, 
each painted the front of his target or fhield ; 
fome with the figure of the Sun, others with that” 
of the Moon, feveral with different kinds of birds 
and beafts of prey, and many with the images of 
imaginary beings, which, according to their filly 
notions, are the inhabitants of the different ele- 
ments, Earth, Sea, Air, &c. 
On enquiring the reafon of their doing fo, I 
learned that each man painted his fhield with the 
image of that being on which he relied moft for | 
fuccefs in the intended engagement. Some were 
contented with a fingle reprefentation; while 
others, doubtful, as I fuppofe, of the quality and 
power of any fingle being, had their fhields cover- 
ed to the very margin with a group of hicrogly- 
phics quite unintelligible to every one except the 
painter. Indeed, from the hurry in which this 
bufinefs was neceflarily done, the want of every 
colour but red and black, and the deficiency of 
fkill in the artift, moft of thofe paintings had more 
the appearance of a number of accidental blotch- 
es, than “ of any thing that is on the earth, or in 
‘‘ the water under the earth ;” and though fome 
few of them conveyed a tolerable idea of the 
thing intended, yet even thefe were many degrees 
worfe than our country fignpaintings in England. 
When 
july. 
