NORTHERN OCEAN 265 



of her garb have a very pleasing, though rather romantic 1772. 



Tanuary. 



appearance. ■ ' 



[264] Her leisure hours from hunting had been employed 

 in twisting the inner rind or bark of willows into small lines, 

 like net-twine, of which she had some hundred fathoms by 

 her ; with this she intended to make a fishing-net as soon as 

 the Spring advanced. It is of the inner bark of willows, 

 twisted in this manner, that the Dog-ribbed Indians make 

 their fishing-nets ; and they are much preferable to those 

 made by the Northern Indians."^' 



Five or six inches of an iron hoop, made into a knife, and 

 the shank of an arrow-head of iron, which served her as an 

 awl, were all the metals this poor woman had with her when 

 she eloped; and with these implements she had made herself 

 complete snow-shoes, and several other useful articles. 



Her method of making a fire was equally singular and 

 curious, having no other materials for that purpose than two 

 hard sulphurous stones. These, by long friction and hard 

 knocking, produced a few sparks, which at length communi- 

 cated to some touchwood ; but as this method was attended 

 with great trouble, and not always with success, she did 

 [265] not suffer her fire to go out all the Winter. Hence 

 we may conclude that she had no idea of producing fire by 

 friction, in the manner practised by the Esquimaux, and many 

 other uncivilized nations ; because if she had, the above- 

 mentioned precaution would have been unnecessary. 



The singularity of the circumstance, the comeliness of her 

 person, and her approved accomplishments, occasioned a strong 

 contest between several of the Indians of my party, who should 

 have her for a wife ; and the poor girl was actually won and lost 



* The Northern Indians make their fishing-nets with small thongs cut from 

 raw deer-skins ; which when dry appear very good, but after being soaked in 

 water some time, grow so soft and slippery, that when large fish strike the net, 

 the hitches are very apt to slip and let them escape. Beside this inconvenience, 

 they are very liable to rot, unless they be frequently taken out of the water and 

 dried. 



