THE INDIANS 207 



three months. "It was hard work to cut the holes to fish 

 through, " for the ice became six or seven feet thick, but they 

 had enough fish to live on. John suffered from cramps 

 while doing without salt, and they both grew weak, although 

 the companion, who was more used to such living, got on 

 somewhat better than he. They "felt well enough, but 

 had no strength." They were gone from the shore more 

 than a year. The experience was rather a commonplace 

 one for the regular hunters of these districts, but it left John 

 a good deal reduced, and it was some time before he 

 recovered his strength. 



The people who descend the Moisie in the summer gather 

 at Sandgirt Lake on the Hamilton, apparently for the mere 

 sake of seeing each other, and they keep together as may 

 be until their final separation in the fall for their individual 

 lands. Something of an inland trade used to be done among 

 the people, and doubtless survives still. A Seven Islands 

 hunter would give fur to a Bersimis man at some rendez- 

 vous, and each would go his way. Months later, in the fall, 

 one of the fine canoes for which Bersimis is known would 

 be passed in return at some appointed place. A similar 

 trade in canvas canoes goes on between the Gulf Indians 

 and the Nascaupees, whose country furnishes no canoe 

 bark. 



Rolls of canoe bark are still sold at some of the northern 

 posts of the Hudson's Bay Company, being imported from 

 more southern districts, along with other merchandise. 

 Nevertheless, the supply has been insufficient for some years 

 and often of poor quality ; while by some unnecessary neg- 

 lect the northern posts have been short even of canvas. 

 With the full supply of the latter laid in recently along the 



