o8 explorations in the far north 



The Yellow Knives. On the 22d of December small bands of 

 Yellow Knives began to arrive from the camps across the lake. 

 Each party contained eight or ten men with four or five trains 

 of dogs. At the last camping place clean shirts and moccasins 

 had been put on over the old, and their hair and faces had been 

 freshly greased. Dashing up to the big house, with cracking 

 whips and jingling bells, they crowded into the clerk's office to 

 shake hands and give their "news" before going to the store 

 to receive their "arrival gratuity," consisting of two pots — 

 pints — of flour, a pot of tea, one of sugar, and two plugs of 

 negro-head tobacco to each man, and a somewhat larger allow- 

 ance to the chiefs. After begging meat and dog fish, they 

 betook themselves to the cabins of the Company's servants to 

 eat their allowance, which is never spoiled with keeping. Some 

 of them brought a few pounds of dried meat for which they 

 received the regular price and a "present" besides. They then 

 begged for half of it upon which to live during the two or three 

 days spent at the post. "Surely the master will give us a little 

 meat when we are starving, for we have brought meat from far 

 to please him." 



Zinto was the most popular leader among them. He was a 

 tall, fine-looking Yellow Knife, though somewhat disfigured 

 by a ferocious squint. Black Head, another prominent chief, 

 kept close to Zinto while the latter was about the post, either 

 from a desire to hold himself aloof from the vulgar herd or to 

 see that Zinto did not receive more favors than himself from 

 the master. Black Head had a round, stolid face, with a pug 

 nose, and an expression that was "childlike and bland." He 

 asked for and obtained a New-year's gratuity, saying that he 

 was going back to his camp at once. Just before New-year 

 he reappeared, ready for another ration! 



After their festin they gathered for a big talk. The chiefs 

 seated themselves in chairs, the others sat crosslegged on the 

 floor. Zinto talked half a day, using frequent and graceful 

 gestures. The other chiefs also spoke at length, though of 

 course a great deal of time was consumed in interpreting. 

 Michel, the metis interpreter, translated Mr. Mackinlay's Eng- 

 lish into the Yellow Knife dialect, which in turn was interpreted 

 in French, making a sort of triangular conversation that was 

 rather amusing to me. Each chief wanted to know why the 



