NORTHERN OCEAN 275 



want of wood, which is of so slow a growth in those regions, 1772. 

 that what is used in one year, exclusive of what is cut down ^ ^^^^' 

 and carried away by the Esquimaux, must cost many years to 

 replace. 



It may probably be thought strange that any part of a 

 community, apparently so commodiously situated, and happy 

 within themselves, should be found at so great a distance from 

 the rest of their tribe, and indeed nothing but necessity could 

 possibly have urged them to undertake a journey of so many 

 hundred miles as they have done ; but no situation is without 

 its inconveniences, and as their woods contain no birch-trees of 

 sufficient size, or perhaps none of any size, this party had come 

 so far to the [278] Westward to procure birch-rind for making 

 two canoes, and some of the fungus that grows on the outside 

 of the birch-tree, which is used by all the Indians in those parts 

 for tinder. There are two sorts of these funguses which grow 

 on the birch-trees ; one is hard, the useful part of which much 

 resembles rhubarb ; the other is soft and smooth like velvet 

 on the outside, and when laid on hot ashes for some time, and 



renders this business equally troublesome. When the lakes and rivers are 

 shallow, the natives are frequently at the pains to make fences from shore to 

 shore. 



To snare those birds in their nests requires a considerable degree of art, 

 and, as the natives say, a great deal of cleanliness ; for they have observed, 

 that when snares have been set by those whose hands were not clean, the birds 

 would not go into the nest. 



Even the goose, though so simple a bird, is notoriously known to forsake 

 her eggs, if they are breathed on by the Indians. 



The smaller species of birds which make their nest in the ground, are by 

 no means so delicate, of course less care is necessary to snare them. It has 

 been observed that all birds which build in the ground go into their nest at one 

 particular side, and out of it on the opposite. The Indians, thoroughly 

 convinced of this, always set the snares on the side on which the bird enters 

 the nest ; and if care be taken in setting them, seldom fail of seizing their 

 object. For small birds, such as larks, and many others of equal size, the 

 Indians only use two or three hairs out of their head ; but for larger birds, 

 particularly swans, geese, and ducks, they make snares of deer-sinews, twisted 

 like packthread, and occasionally of a small thong cut from a parchment 

 deer-skin. 



