NORTHERN OCEAN 205 



them. After resting about an hour, we proceeded on our way, 1771. 

 and at six in the morning arrived at Congecathawhachaga ; J"^^" 

 when, to our great disappointment, we found that all our 

 women had got set across the river before the Copper Indians 

 left that part ; so that when we arrived, not an Indian was to 

 be found, except an old man and his family, who had arrived in 

 our absence, and was waiting at the crossing-place with some 

 furrs for Matonabbee, who was so nearly related to the old 

 man as to be his son-in-law, having one of his daughters for 

 a wife. The old man had another with him, who was also 

 offered to the great man, but not accepted. 



Our stay at this place may be said to have been of very 

 short duration ; for on seeing a large smoke to the Southward, 

 we immediately crossed the river, and walked towards it, 

 [185] when we found that the women had indeed been there 

 some days before, but were gone ; and at their departure had 

 set the moss on fire, which was then burning, and occasioned 

 the smoke we had seen. By this time the afternoon was far 

 advanced ; we pursued, however, our course in the direction 

 which the women took, for their track we could easily discover 

 in the moss. We had not gone far, before we saw another 

 smoke at a great distance, for which we shaped our course; 

 and, notwithstanding we redoubled our pace, it was eleven 

 o'clock at night before we reached it ; when, to our great 

 mortification, we found it to be the place where the women 

 had slept the night before ; having in the morning, at their 25th. 

 departure, set fire to the moss which was then burning. 



The Indians, finding that their wives were so near as to be 

 within one of their ordinary day's walk, which seldom exceeded 

 ten or twelve miles, determined not to rest till they had joined 

 them. Accordingly we pursued our course, and about two 

 o'clock in the morning of the twenty-fifth, came up with some 

 of the women, !who had then pitched their tents by the side of 

 Cogead Lake.^ 



[' Contwoito Lake, described on page 152.] 



