298 A JOURNEY TO THE 
1772. thern Indians is entirely free from fmoke, and 
Teo quite foft and mellow in the mouth; whereas _ 
that which is prepared by the Southern tribes _ 
is generally as bitter as foot with fmoke, and 
is as hard as the feraps of horn, &c. which are | 
burnt to make hardening for the cutlers. FE 
never knew, that any European was fo fond of | 
this as they are of that made by the Northern | 
Indians. fl 
oth. On the ninth, as we were continuing our 
courfe to the Factory, which then lay in the 
South Eaft quarter, we faw feveral fmokes tothe | 
North Eaft, and the fame day fpoke with many | 
Northern Indians, who were going to Knapp’s 
Bay to meet the Churchill floop. Several of thofe 
Indians had furrs with them, but having fome 
time before taken up goods on truft at Prince of | 
Wales’s Fort, were taking that method to delay | 
the payment of them. Defrauds of this kind | 
have been practifed by many of thofe people with 
great fuccefs, ever fince the furr-trade has been 
eftablifhed with the Northern Indians at Knapp’s 
Bay; by which means debts to a confiderable | 
amount are annually loft to the Company, as welk | 
as their Governor in the Bay. 
Being defirous of improving every opportuni. 
ty that the fine weather afforded, we did not lofe 
much time in converfation with thofe Indi- | 
ans, but proceeded on our courfe to the South | 
Haft, while they continued theirs tothe North | 
Eaft. 
For 
