76 Thirty Years 
soon afterwards came to some Indian tents, containing 
five families, belonging to the Chipewyan tribe. We 
smoked the calumet in the Chief’s tent, whose name was 
the Thumb, and distributed some tobacco and a weak 
mixture of spirits and water among the men. They 
received this civility with much Jess grace than the 
Crees, and seemed to consider it a matter of course. 
There was an utter neglect of cleanliness, and a total 
want of comfort in their tents ; and the poor creatures 
were miserably clothed. Mr. Frazer, who accompanied 
us from the Methye Lake, accounted for their being 
in this forlorn condition by explaining, that this band 
of Indians had recently destroyed every thing they 
possessed, as a token of their great grief for the loss of 
their relatives in the prevailing sickness. It appears 
that no article is spared by these unhappy mén when 
a near relative dies ; their clothes and tents are cut to 
pieces, their guns broken, and every other weapon 
rendered useless, if some person do not remove these ar- 
ticles from their sight, which is seldom done. Mr. Back 
sketched one of the children. This delighted the 
father very much, who charged the boy to be very 
good now, since his picture had been drawn by a great 
‘Chief. We learned that they prize pictures very 
highly, and esteem any they can get, however badly 
executed, as efficient charms. They were unable to 
give us any information respecting the country beyond 
