280 June 1749. 



boat of bark, and an Indian wading 

 through the river, with a great cap of bark 

 on his head. Near them was an iiland on 

 whi"h there were a number of Indians at 

 prefent, on account of the fturgeon fifhery, 

 We went to their huts to try if we cou!4 

 get one of them to accompany us to Fort 

 St. Frederic. On our arrival we found 

 that all the men were gone into the woods 

 a hunting this morning, and we were forced 

 to engage their boys to go and look for 

 them. They demanded bread for payment, 

 and we gave them twenty little round 

 loaves ; for as they found that it was of 

 great importance to us to fpeak with the 

 Indians* they raifed difficulties, and would 

 not go till \*e gave them what they wanted. 

 The ifland belonged to the Dutch, who 

 had turned it into corn-fields. But at 

 prefent they had leafed it to the Indians* 

 who planted their maize and feveral kinds 

 of melons on it. They built their huts 

 or wigwams on this ifland, on a very fimple 

 plan. Four pofts were put into the ground 

 perpendicularly, over which they had placed 

 poles, and made a roof of bark upon them. 

 They had either no walls at all, or they eonfift- 

 ed of branches with leaves, w r hich were fixed 

 to the poles. Their beds confifted of deer- 

 fkins which were fpread on the ground. Their 

 ptenfils were a couple of fmall kettles, and 



two 



