242 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



men of the party are, Peter Ogden, Esq., chief factor, bound to 

 New Caledonia, Archibald McDonald, Esq., for Colville, and 

 Samuel Black, Esq., for Thompson's river, and the brigade con- 

 sists of sixty men, with nine boats. 



21th. — We arrived yesterday at the upper cascades, and made 

 in the course of the day three portages. As is usual in this 

 place, it rained almost constantly, and the poor men engaged in 

 carrying the goods, were completely drenched. A considerable 

 number of Indians are employed here in fishing, and they supply 

 us with an abundance of salmon. Amonij them I recognise 

 many of my old friends from below. 



2Qth. — This morning the Indian wife of one of the men gave 

 birth to a little girl. The tent in which she was lying was 

 within a few feet of the one which I occupied, and we had 

 no intimation of the matter being in progress until we heard the 

 crying of the infant. It is truly astonishing with what ease the 

 parturition of these women is performed ; they generally require 

 no assistance in delivery, being fully competent to managing the 

 whole paraphernalia themselves. In about half an hour after 

 this event we got under way, and the woman walked to the boat, 

 carrying her new born infant on her back, embarked, laughed, 

 and talked as usual, and appeared in every respect as well as if 

 nothing had happened. 



This woman is a most noble specimen of bone and muscle, and 

 so masculine in appearance, that were she to cast the petticoat, 

 and don the breeches, the cheat would never be discovered, and 

 but few of the lords of the creation would be willing to face the 

 Amazon. She is particularly useful to her husband. As he is 

 becoming rather infirm, she can protect him most admirably. 

 If he wishes to cross a stream in travelling without horses or 

 boats, she plunges in without hesitation, takes him upon her 

 back, and lands him safely and expeditiously upon the opposite bank. 

 She can also kill and dress an elk, I'un down and shoot a buffalo, 



