152 THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



If this mock modesty worked for morality one might 

 well accept it, but the old folks say that it operates 

 quite the other way. It has at all events put an end 

 to any possibility of them taking a bath. 



Maybe as a consequence, but of this I am not sure, 

 none of these Indians swim. A large canoe-load upset 

 in crossing Great Slave Lake a month after we arrived 

 and all were drowned. 



Like most men who lead physical lives, and like all 

 meat-eating savages, these are possessed of a natural 

 proneness toward strong drink. 



An interesting two-edged boomerang illustration of 

 this was given by an unscrupulous whiskey trader. 

 While travelling across country he ran short of pro- 

 visions but fortunately came to a Chipewyan lodge. 

 At first its owner had no meat to spare, but when he 

 found that the visitor had a flask of whiskey he offered 

 for it a large piece of Moose meat; when this was re- 

 fused he doubled the amount, and after another refusal 

 added some valuable furs and more meat till one hun- 

 dred dollars worth was piled up. 



Again the answer was "no." 



Then did that Indian offer the lodge and everything 

 he had in it, including his wife. But the trader was 

 obdurate. 



"Why didn't you take it," said the friend whom he 

 told of the affair; "the stuff would have netted five 

 hundred dollars, and all for one flask of whiskey." 



"Not much," said the trader, "it was my last flask. 

 I wouldn't 'a' had a drop for myself. But it just shows 

 how fond these Indians are of whiskey." 



