M Sketches of the 



met with. The other, a very extraordinary man, whtf 

 seems to stand distinguished from all his tribe, we only 

 heard of through the medium of our guide, who had long 

 known him personally. 



Old Majeshk, the first of these chiefs, is supposed to have 

 reached the age of one hundred and ten ; he is nearly blind^ 

 but otherwise in the possession of his faculties, and still 

 paddles in the bow of his canoe. He has been a tall strong- 

 built man, but is now considerably bent, and appears to 

 walk feebly, although this may be merely a natural hesita- 

 tion, occasioned by the defect of his eyes. Of this man we 

 had heard much while ascending the River St. MauricCi 

 and even that he was a cannibal ; this last, however, the 

 same guide afterwards recanted, asserting that we had not 

 understood him, but repeating that he had at different 

 times destroyed several Canadian hunters. This chief, in 

 his prime, was an ambitioxis and successful warrior. By 

 his personal enterprize and bravery, he conquered all the 

 Indians who had settled on the parts comprehended between 

 the aux Lievres lakes and the Lake Shosawatasi, an extent 

 from west to east, of about seventy miles, and at a time 

 When the numbers of the T6te de Boule nation were much 

 more respectable than they are at present. It is impossible 

 to ascertain how many he destroyed in these invasions, but 

 tradition makes the loss of lives very serious. All these 

 lakes and waters he has since kept firm possession of, 

 portioning off parcels of them at different times to the 

 members of his family, as they grew old enough to hunt 

 for themselves : but it appears that he has never been 

 disturbed by an enemy invading his acquired dominion. — 

 We endeavoured to fix his real age, but for want of numer- 

 ical calculation among these people, our nearest approach 



