36 Thirty Years 
along. An Indian, who had come to the house on the 
preceding evening, to request some provision for his 
family, whom he represented to be in a state of star- 
carion, accompanied them. His party had been suf- 
fering greatly under. the epidemic diseases of the 
whooping-cough and measles ; and the hunters were 
still in too debilitated a state to go out and provide 
them with meat. A supply was given to him, and 
the men were directed to bring his father, an old and 
faithful hunter, to the house, that he might have the 
comforts of nourishment and warmth. He was 
brought ‘accordingly, but these attentions were una- 
vailing, as he died a few days afterwards. Two days 
before his death, I was surprised to-observe him ‘sit~ 
ting for near three hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in 
the saw-pit, employed in gathering the dust, and 
throwing it by handfuls over his body, which was 
naked to the waist. As the man was in possession of 
his mental faculties, I conceived he was performing 
some devotional act preparatory to his departure, which 
he felt approaching ; and, induced by the novelty of 
the incident, I went twice to observe him more close- 
ly ; but when he perceived that he was noticed, he 
immediately ceased his operation, hung down his head, 
and by his demeanor, intimated that he considered 
my appearance an intrusion. The residents at the fort 
could give me no information on the subject, and I 
