THE MONTAGNAIS INDIANS 



through one eye instead of two. My interpreter 

 for this gallant speech was one of the daughters 

 of the salmon-fisher. As there was some slight 

 redness of the eye, but more for the sake of 

 giving the Indian the satisfaction of treatment, 

 I presented him with some tablets for an eye 

 wash. A few days later he reported that he 

 had begun to see again in that eye ! 



That some of these people manage to survive 

 the onslaught of the white man's germs of 

 disease and live to a considerable age, was 

 illustrated by an aged squaw at Mingan who 

 was said to be 104 years old. The factor, 

 Mr. Wilson, told me that up to within a few 

 years she had spent the long winters with her 

 people in the interior, but that increasing 

 infirmities had at last compelled her to give 

 up this strenuous life. She appeared to be 

 still active mentally, and her small black eyes 

 twinkled with intelligence in her sadly wizened 

 face. When she walked she was bent like a 

 bow, so that her chin almost touched her knees, 

 and she reminded me of some Cape Cod women 

 who are said never to die, but in the end to 

 dry up and blow away like dead leaves. 



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