36 Thirty Years 



alone:. An Indian, who had come to the house on the 

 preceding evening, to request some provision for his 

 family, whom he represented to be in a state of star- 

 varion, accompanied them. His party had been suf- 

 fering greatly under the epidemic diseases of the 

 whooping-cough and measles ; and the hunters were 

 still in too debilitated a state to go out and provide 

 them with meat. A supply was given to him, and 

 the men were directed to bring his father, an old and 

 faithful hunter, to the house, that he might have the 

 comforts of nourishment and warmth. He was 

 brought accordingly, but these attentions were una- 

 vailing, as he died a few days afterwards. Two days 

 before his death, I was surprised to observe him sit- 

 ting for near three hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in 

 the saw-pit, employed in gathering the dust, and 

 throwing it by handfuls over his body, which was 

 naked to the waist. As the man was in possession of 

 his mental faculties, I conceived lie was performing 

 some devotional act preparatory to his departure, which 

 he felt approaching ; and, induced by the novelty of 

 the incident, I went twice to observe him more close- 

 ly ; but when he perceived that he was noticed, he 

 immediately ceased his operation, hung down his head, 

 and by his demeanor, intimated that he considered 

 my appearance an intrusion. The residents ai thefort 

 could give me no information on the subject, and I 



