184 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1771. [161] When the Indians had plundered the seven tents of 

 •'" ^' all the copper utensils, which seemed the only thing worth 

 [162] their notice, they threw all the tents and tent-poles into 

 the river, destroyed a vast quantity of dried salmon, musk- 

 oxen flesh, and other provisions ; broke all the stone kettles ; 

 and, in fact, did all the mischief they possibly could to distress 

 the poor creatures they could not murder, and who were 

 standing on the shoal before mentioned, obliged to be woeful 

 spectators of their great, or perhaps irreparable loss. 



After the Indians had completed this piece of wantonness 

 we sat down, and made a good meal of fresh salmon, which 

 were as numerous at the place where we now rested, as they 



having a fire, which the severity of the climate so much requires, they cut holes 

 in the ice within their tents, and there sit and angle for fish ; if they meet with 

 any success, the fish are eaten alive out of the water ; and when they are thirsty, 

 water, their usual beverage, is at hand. 



When I first entered into the employment of the Hudson's Bay Company, 

 it was as Mate of one of their sloops which was employed in trading with the 

 Esquimaux : I had therefore frequent opportunities of observing the miserable 

 manner in which those people live. In the course of our trade with them we 

 frequently purchased several seal-skin bags, which we supposed were full of 

 oil ; but on opening them have sometimes found great quantities of venison, 

 seals, and sea-horse paws, as well as salmon : and as these were of no use to 

 us, we always returned them to the Indians, who eagerly devoured them, though 

 some of the articles had been perhaps a whole year in that state ; and they 

 seemed to exult greatly in having so over-reached us in the way of trade, as to 

 have sometimes one third of their bargain returned. 



This method of preserving their food, though it effectually guards it from 

 the external air, and from the flies, does not prevent putrefaction entirely, 

 though it renders its progress very slow. Pure train oil is of such a quality 

 that it never freezes solid in the coldest Winters ; a happy circumstance for 

 those people, who are condemned to live in the most rigorous climate without 

 the assistance of fire. While these magazines last, they have nothing more to 

 do when hunger assails them, but to open one of the bags, take out a side of 

 venison, a few seals, sea-horse paws, or some half-rotten salmon, and without 

 any preparation, sit down and make a meal ; and the lake or river by which 

 they pitch their tent, affords them water, which is their constant drink. Besides 

 the extraordinary food already mentioned, they have several other dishes equally 

 disgusting to an European palate ; I will only mention one, as it was more 

 frequently part of their repast when I visited their tents, than any other, except 

 fish. The dish I allude to, is made of the raw liver ofa deer, cut in small pieces of 

 about an inch square, and mixed up with the contents of the stomach of the same 



