NORTHERN OCEAN 149 



with those of my party to accompany us to the Copper-mine 1771. 

 River ; and with no other intent than to murder the Esqui- ^^* 

 maux, who are understood by the Copper Indians to frequent 

 that river in considerable numbers. This scheme, notwith- 

 standing the trouble and fatigue, as well as danger, with which 

 it must be obviously attended, was nevertheless so universally 

 approved by those people, that for some time almost every man 

 who joined [i 1 5] us proposed to be of the party. Accordingly, 

 each volunteer, as well as those who were properly of my 

 party, prepared a target, or shield, before we left the woods of 

 Clowey. Those targets were composed of thin boards, about 

 three quarters of an inch thick, two feet broad, and three feet 

 long ; and were intended to ward off the arrows of the Esqui- 

 maux. Notwithstanding these preparations, when we came to 

 leave the women and children, as has been already mentioned, 

 only sixty volunteers would go with us ; the rest, who were 

 nearly as many more, though they had all prepared targets, 

 reflecting that they had a great distance to walk, and that no 

 advantage could be expected from the expedition, very pru- 

 dently begged to be excused, saying, that they could not be 

 spared for so long a time from the maintenance of their wives 

 and families ; and particularly, as they did not see any then in 

 our company, who seemed willing to encumber themselves 

 with such a charge. This seemed to be a mere evasion, for I 

 am clearly of opinion that poverty on one side, and avarice 

 on the other, were the only impediments to their joining our 

 party ; had they possessed as many European goods to squan- 

 der away among their countrymen as Matonabbee and those 

 of my party did, in all probability many might have been 

 found who would have been glad to have accompanied us. 



When I was acquainted with the intentions of my com- 

 panions, and saw the warlike preparations that were carrying 

 on, I endeavoured as much as possible to persuade [i 16] them 

 from putting their inhuman design into execution ; but so far 

 were my intreaties from having the wished-for effect, that it 



