92 Inasmuch 



many winters, she added, and am now become a 

 burden, in not being able to assist in getting 

 provisions; and dragging me through the country, 

 as I am unable to walk, is a toil, and brings much 

 distress; take your gun. She then drew her 

 blanket over her head, and her son immediately 

 deprived her of life; in the apparent consciousness 

 of having done an act of filial-duty and of mercy.&quot; 

 Tradition of vSir Alexander Mackenzie, in speaking of the 

 Chipewyan or Northern Indians, who traverse 

 an immense track of country, to the north of the 

 Athabasca Lake, says, &quot;that the notions which 

 these people entertain of the creation are of a 

 singular nature. They believe that the globe was 

 at first one vast and entire ocean, inhabited by 

 no living creature except a mighty bird, whose 

 eyes were fire, whose glances were lightning and 

 the clapping of whose wings was thunder. On 

 his descending to the ocean, and touching it, the 

 earth instantly arose, and remained on the sur 

 face of the waters. They have also a tradition 

 amongst them, that they originally came from 

 another country, inhabited by very wicked people, 

 and had traversed a great lake, where they suffer 

 ed much misery, it being always winter, with ice 

 and deep snow. At the Coppermine River, 

 where they made the first land, the ground was 

 covered with copper. They believe also that in 

 ancient times their ancestors lived till their feet 

 were worn out with walking and their throats with 

 eating. They describe a deluge, when the waters 

 spread over the whole earth, except the highest 



