310 A JOURNEY TO THE 



trouble of making places of shelter, and arranging the flag- 

 sticks, &c. the deer will make off another way, before the 

 women and children can surround them. At other times I 

 have seen eleven or twelve of them killed with one volley of 

 arrows ; and if any gun-men attend on those occasions, they 

 are always placed behind the other Indians, in order to pick 

 up the deer that escape the bow-men. By these means I 

 have seen upwards of twenty fine deer killed at one broadside, 

 as it may be termed. 



Though the Northern Indians may be said to kill a great 

 number of deer in this manner during the Summer, yet they 

 have so far lost the art of shooting with bows and arrows, 

 that I never knew any of them who could take those 

 weapons only, and kill either deer, moose, or buffalo, in the 

 common, wandering, and promiscuous method of hunting. 

 The Southern Indians, though they have been much longer 

 used to fire-arms, are far more expert with the bow and arrow, 

 their original weapons. 



The tents made use of by those Indians, both in Summer 

 and Winter, are generally composed of deer-skins in the hair ; 

 and for convenience of carriage, are always [323] made in small 

 pieces, seldom exceeding five buck-skins in one piece. These 

 tents, as also their kettles, and some other lumber, are always 

 carried by dogs, which are trained to that service, and are very 

 docile and tractable. Those animals are of various sizes and 

 colours, but all of the fox and wolf breed, with sharp noses, 

 full brushy tails, and sharp ears standing erect. They are 

 of great courage when attacked, and bite so sharp, that the 

 smallest cur among them will keep several of our largest 

 English dogs at bay, if he can get up in a corner. These dogs 

 are equally willing to haul in a sledge, but as few of the men 

 will be at the trouble of making sledges for them, the poor 

 women are obliged to content themselves with lessening the 

 bulk of their load, more than the weight, by making the dogs 

 carry these articles only, which are always lashed on their 



