128 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1771. shoe frames for Winter use. Birchrind, together with timbers 

 ^" ■ and other wood-work for building canoes, were also another 

 object of the Indian's attention while at this place ; but as the 

 canoes were not to be set up till our arrival at Clowey, (which 

 was many miles distant,) all the wood-work was reduced to its 

 proper size, for the sake of making it light for carriage. 



As to myself, I had little to do, except to make a few 

 observations for determining the latitude, bringing up my 

 journal, and filling up my chart to the present time. I found 

 the latitude of this place 61° 30' North, and its longitude, by 

 my account, 19 West of Prince of Wales's Fort. 



18th. Having a good stock of dried provisions, and most of the 

 necessary work for canoes all ready, on the eighteenth we 

 moved about nine or ten miles to the North North West, and 

 then came to a tent of Northern Indians who were tenting on 

 the North side of Thelewey-aza River. From these Indians 

 Matonabbee purchased another wife ; so that he had now no 

 less than seven, most of whom would for size have made good 

 grenadiers. He prided himself much in the height and 

 strength of his wives, and would frequently say, few women 

 would carry or haul heavier loads ; and though they had, in 

 general, a very masculine appearance, yet he preferred them to 

 those of a [89] more delicate form and moderate stature. In 

 a country like this, where a partner in excessive hard labour is 

 the chief motive for the union, and the softer endearments of 

 a conjugal life are only considered as a secondary object, there 

 seems to be great propriety in such a choice ; but if all the 

 men were of this way of thinking, what would become of the 

 greater part of the women, who in general are but of low 

 stature, and many of them of a most delicate make, though 

 not of the exactest proportion, or most beautiful mould ? 

 Take them in a body, the women are as destitute of real 

 beauty as any nation I ever saw, though there are some few 

 of them, when young, who are tolerable ; but the care of a 

 family, added to their constant hard labour, soon make the 



