NORTHERN OCEAN. 
people, may with great truth be attributed to the 
indolence of the Indians, and the wandering life 
which they lead, rather than to the great fcarcity 
of the martins. It is true, that our moving fo 
frequently from place to place, did at times make 
_ it not an object worth while to build traps; but 
had they taken the advantage of all favourable 
Opportunities, and been poflefled of half the in- 
duftry of the Company’s fervants in the Bay, 
they might with great eafe have caught as many 
hundreds, if not fome thoufands; and when we 
confider the extent of ground which we walked 
over in that time, fuch a number would not have 
been any proof of the martins being very plen- 
tiful. 
Except a few martins; wolves, quiquehatches, 
foxes, and otters, are the chief furrs to be met 
with in thofe parts, and few of the Northern In- 
dians chufe to kill either the wolf or the quique- 
hatch, under a notion that they are fomething 
more than common animals. Indeed, I have 
known fome of them fo bigotted to this opinion, 
that having by chance killed a quiquehatch by a 
-gun which had been fet for a fox, they had left it 
where it was killed, and would not take off its 
fkin. Notwithftanding this filly notion, which 
is too frequently to be obferved among thofe 
people, it generally happens that there are fome 
in every gang who are lefs fcrupulous, fo that 
none of thofe furrs are ever left to rot ; and even 
thofe who make a point of not killing the ani- 
P mals 
209 
1771. 
ae 
October, 
