278 
A JOURNEY TO THE 
1772. fize, this party had come fo far to the Weftward _ 
ae) 
February. 
to procure birch-rind for making two canoes, and 
fome of the fungus that grows on the outfide of 
the birch-tree, which is ufed by ail the Indians in 
thofe parts for tinder. There are two forts of 
thefe fungufes which grow on the birch-trees 5 
one is hard, the ufeful part of which much re- 
fembles rhubarb; the other is foft and {mooth 
like velvet on the outfide, and when laid on hot. 
afhes for fome time, and well beaten between two 
ftones, is fomething like fpunk. The former is 
called by the Northern Indians Jolt-thee, and is 
known all over the country bordering on Hud- 
fon’s Bay by the name of Pefogan*, it being fo 
called by the Southern Indians. ‘The latter is 
only 
% The Indians, both Northern and Southern, have found by experience, 
that by boiling the pefogan in water for a confiderable time, the texture is 
fo much improved, that when. thoroughly dried, fome parts of it will be 
nearly as foft as {punge. 
Some of thofe fungufes are as large as a man’s head; the outfide, which 
is very hard and black, and much indented with deep cracks, being of no 
ufe, is always chopped off with a hatchet. Befides the two forts of 
touchwood already mentioned, there is another kind of it in thofe parts, 
that I think isinfinitely preferable to either. This is found in old decayed. 
poplars, and lies in flakes of various fizes and thicknefs; fome is not thick~ 
er than fhamoy leather, others are as thick as afhoe-fole. This, like the 
fungus of the birch-tree, is always moift when taken from the tree, but 
when dry, it is very fot and flexible, and takes fire readily from the 
{park of afteel; but it is much improved by being kept dry in a bag that» 
has contained gunpowder. It is rather furprizing that the Indians, whofe 
ynode of life | have been defcribing, have never acquired the method of 
making fire by friction, like the Efquimaux. It is alfo equally furprizing 
they do not make ufe of the fkin-canoes. Probably deer-fkins cannot be 
manufactured to with{tand the water; for it is well known that the Efqui- 
maux ufe always feal-fkins for that purpofe, though they are in the habit 
&i killing great numbers of deer, 
