182 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1771. the crookedness of the river and the form of the land, entirely 

 'under cover, several of the poor surviving Esquimaux, think- 

 ing probably that we were gone about our business, and meant 

 to trouble them no more, had returned from the shoal to their 

 habitations. When we approached their tents, which we did 

 under cover of the rocks, we found them busily employed 

 tying up bundles. These the Indians seized with their usual 

 ferocity ; on which, the Esquimaux having their canoes lying 

 ready in the water, immediately embarked, and all of them 

 got safe to the former shoal, except an old man, who was so 

 intent on collecting his things, that the Indians coming upon 

 him before he could reach his canoe, he fell a sacrifice to their 

 fury : I verily believe not less than twenty had a hand in his 

 death, as his whole body was like a cullender. It is here 

 necessary to observe that the spies [158] when on the look-out, 

 could not see these seven tents, though close under them, as 

 the bank, on which they stood, stretched over them. 



It ought to have been mentioned in its proper place, that 

 in making our retreat up the river, after killing the Esqui- 

 maux on the West side, we saw an old woman sitting by the 

 side of the water, killing salmon,^ which lay at the foot of the 

 fall as thick as a shoal of herrings. Whether from the noise 

 of the fall, or a natural defect in the old woman's hearing, it 

 is hard to determine, but certain it is, she had no knowledge 

 of the tragical scene which had been so lately transacted at 

 the tents, though she was not more than two hundred yards 

 from the place. When we first perceived her, she seemed per- 

 fectly at ease, and was entirely surrounded with the produce 

 of her labour. From her manner of behaviour, and the ap- 

 pearance of her eyes, which were as red as blood, it is more 

 than probable that her sight was not very good ; for she 

 scarcely discerned that the Indians were enemies, till they were 

 within twice the length of their spears of her. It was in vain 



[' Probably some form of the wide-ranging Salmo alpinus. — E. A. P.] 



