THE INDIANS 207 
three months. “It was hard work to cut the holes to fish 
through,’’ for theice became six or seven feet thick, but they 
had enough fish to live on. John suffered from cramps 
while doing without salt, and they both grew weak, although 
the companion, who was more used to such living, got on 
somewhat better than he. They “felt well enough, but 
had no strength.’”’ They were gone from the shore more 
than a year. The experience was rather a commonplace 
one for the regular hunters of these districts, but it left John 
a good deal reduced, and it was some time before he 
recovered his strength. 
The people who descend the Moisie in the summer gather 
at Sandgirt Lake on the Hamilton, apparently for the mere 
sake of seeing each other, and they keep together as may 
be until their final separation in the fall for their individual 
lands. Something of an inland trade used to be done among 
the people, and doubtless survives still. A Seven Islands 
hunter would give fur to a Bersimis man at some rendez- 
vous, and each would go his way. Months later, in the fall, 
one of the fine canoes for which Bersimis is known would 
be passed in return at some appointed place. A similar 
trade in canvas canoes goes on between the Gulf Indians 
and the Nascaupees, whose country furnishes no canoe 
bark. 
Rolls of canoe bark are still sold at some of the northern 
posts of the Hudson’s Bay Company, being imported from 
more southern districts, along with other merchandise. 
Nevertheless, the supply has been insufficient for some years 
and often of poor quality; while by some unnecessary neg- 
lect the northern posts have been short even of canvas. 
With the full supply of the latter laid in recently along the 
