THOMAS ANDERSON 57 



are also taken at Fort Chipewyan from time to time. 

 One was taken at Fondulac, east end of Lake Atha- 

 baska, and was traded at Smith Landing in 1906. 

 They are found regularly at Fondulac, the east end of 

 Great Slave Lake, each year. 



In the winter of 1885-6 he was to be in charge of 

 Nipigon House, but got orders beforehand to visit the 

 posts on Albany River. He set out from Fort William 

 on Lake Superior on his 1,200-mile trip through the 

 snow with an Indian whose name was Joe Eskimo, from 

 Manitoulin Island, 400 miles away. At Nipigon House 

 he got another guide, but this one was in bad shape, 

 spitting blood. After three days' travel the guide 

 said: "I will go to the end if it kills me, because I 

 have promised, unless I can get you a better guide. 

 At Wayabimika (Lake Savanne) is an old man named 

 Omeegi; he knows the road better than I do." When 

 they got there, Omeegi, although very old and half- 

 blind, was willing to go on condition that they should 

 not walk too fast. Then they started for Osnaburgh 

 House on Lake St. Joseph, 150 miles away. The old 

 man led off well, evidently knew the way, but some- 

 times would stop, cover his eyes with his hands, look 

 at the ground and then at the sky, and turn on a sharp 

 angle. He proved a fine guide and brought the ex- 

 pedition there in good time. 



Next winter at Wayabimika (where Charley de la 

 Ronde * was in charge, but was leaving on a trip of 10 

 days) Omeegi came in and asked for a present "a 

 new shirt and a pair of pants." This is the usual 



1 Count de la Ronde. 



