198 LEAVING THE LONE LAND 



stranger will find in the native many good points 

 to counterbalance the bad. And much really 

 good service can thereby be gained, to further 

 the enjoyment and results of any undertaking, 

 for undoubtedly the natives can give one valuable 

 information of their country, which is open as a 

 book to them, if they are anxious to be friendly, 

 and to serve. 



I have on rare occasions heard impatient people 

 express the opinion that natives are fools ; and 

 in such cases I have been prompted to think that 

 they have taken the natives, for the most part, 

 in the wrong way ; and that such an opinion can 

 seldom be altogether justified. It is surely much 

 more fair to begin with the idea that they are not 

 fools, but just simple and untutored people, and I 

 feel sure that if that is done in the right spirit 

 the result in the end will bring its reward, and 

 at the same time full appreciation be gained 

 from the native of the standard the true white 

 man upholds of fair play ; which is also the 

 standard he will attribute to our country. 



Furthermore, dealing now with native ability, 

 as far as the North American Indian is con- 

 cerned, few white men, unless they are bred on the 

 edge of civilisation or long accustomed to life 

 beyond the frontiers, in my humble opinion, 

 can compare with the red man in travelling 

 great tracts of unmapped territory when they 

 enter country they themselves have not known 

 before. The speed at which they can cover 

 rough country, and their instinctive sense of true 

 direction, are incomparable and little short of 

 miraculous ; and often leave the white man's 



