LABRADOR JOURNAL 19 



the ludians resorted, who took what they were 

 iu want of, and left furs in return. One daj^, a 

 viHain hid himself near the deposite, and shot a 

 woman dead, as she was furnishing herself with 

 what pleased her best. Since that time, they have 

 been alwa^^s hostile to Europeans, I fear that the 

 race will be totall}" extinct in a few years; for 

 the fishing trade continually increasing, almost 

 every river and brook w^hich receives salmon is 

 already occupied hy our people, and the bird- 

 islands are so continually robbed, that the poor 

 Lidians must now find it much more difficult 

 than before, to procure provisions in the sum- 

 mer; and this difficulty will annually become 

 greater. Nor do they succeed better in the win- 

 ter; for our furriers are considerably increased 

 in number, much improved in skill, and venture 

 farther into the country than formerly; by 

 which, the breed of beavers is greatly dimin- 

 ished. 



About two years ago, I went on an expedition 

 up the River Exploits, which is the largest in 

 Newfoundland, many miles higher than any Euro- 

 pean ever was before, and I there saw^ a great 

 number of the Indian houses uninhabited; I con- 

 cluded from thence, that the Indians retired into 

 the r'ountiy at the approach of Winter, to feed 

 on venison and beaver, and, if I may judge by the 

 number o^ deer's heads wliirli I saw 1)y the v'wov 

 side, fliey must be vei-y dexterous hunters. Tlie 

 very lonj::, and strong fences whidi Ihcv liad made, 

 were convincing proofs, that they knew their busi- 



