CONTENTS 37 



CHAP. VII. 



Remarks from the Time the Women joined us till our Arrival 

 at the Athapuscow Lake. 



PAGE 



Several of the Indians sick — Methods used by the conjurors to 

 reheve one man, who recovers — Matonabbee and his crew proceed 

 to the South West — Most of the other Indians separate, and go their 

 respective ways — Pass by White Stone Lake — Many deer killed 

 merely for their skins — Remarks thereon, and on the deer, respect- 

 ing seasons and places — Arrive at Point Lake — One of the Indian's 

 wives being sick, is left behind to perish above-ground— Weather 

 very bad, but deer plenty— Stay some time at Point Lake to dry 

 meat, &c. — Winter set in — Superstitious customs observed by my 

 companions, after they had killed the Esquimaux at Copper River 

 — A violent gale of wind oversets my tent and breaks my quadrant 

 — Some Copper and Dog-ribbed Indians join us — Indians propose 

 to go to the Athapuscow Country to kill moose — Leave Point Lake, 

 and arrive at the wood's edge — Arrive at Anawd Lake — Trans- 

 actions there — Remarkable instance of a man being cured of the 

 palsey by the conjurors — Leave Anawd Lake — Arrive at the great 

 Athapuscow Lake , . . . . 209 



[xvi] CHAP. VIII. 



Transactions and Remarks from our Arrival on the South Side 

 of the Athapuscow Lake, till our Arrival at Prince of 

 Wales's Fort on Churchill River. 



Cross the Athapuscow Lake — Description of it and its produc- 

 tions, as far as could be discovered in Winter, when the snow was 

 on the ground — Fish found in the lake — Description of the buffalo ; 

 of the moose or elk, and the method of dressing their skins — Find 

 a woman alone that had not seen a human face for more than seven 

 months — Her account how she came to be in that situation ; and 

 her curious method of procuring a livelihood — Many of my Indians 

 wrestled for her — Arrive at the Great Athapuscow River — Walk 

 along the side of the River for several days, and then strike off to the 

 Eastward — Difficulty in getting through the woods in many places 

 — Meet with some strange Northern Indians on their return from 

 the Fort — Meet more strangers, whom my companions plundered, 

 and from whom they took one of their young women — Curious 

 manner of life which those strangers lead, and the reason they 

 gave for roving so far from their usual residence — Leave the fine 

 level countr)' of the Athapuscows, and arrive at the Stony Hills of the 



