BENIAH'S ARRIVAL 



often had the right end of the solution. He is good-nat- 

 ured, except at such time as he considers his dignity 

 affronted by those dependent on his bounty, and some- 

 what of a wag too, whose most mirth-provoking sally was 

 a repeated and crescendo exclamation of " cdo" (Dog-Rib 

 for hot) when it was bitterest cold. The greatest tribute 

 I can pay Beniah is to say 

 that he kept his word with 

 me, and that is so rare a 

 virtue among these Indians 

 as to be praise enough. 

 The only thing I treasure 

 against him was his dis- 

 tressing rendition of a song 

 which had few words and a 

 tune that wailed for longer 

 and shorter periods of time 

 over three treble notes. I 

 could never decide whether 

 it was a song of joy or lam- 

 entation, as he set it going 

 on all occasions before we 

 reached the Barrens ; and 

 then he subsided, for there 

 no opportunity of rejoic- 

 ing offered, and no chant, 



be it never so dolorous, could have expressed the depth 

 of our misery. 



There was much mental measuring of one another, of 

 drinking tea, and smoking on the day after Beniah's ar- 

 rival at Resolution, but we did not come to the business 

 of my venture until the evening. Then we all gathered 

 in Gaudet's room and smoked some more, and talked for 

 a long time about everything else, as is usual at these 



BENIAH 

 From a Photograph by the author 



