Quadrupeds. 



7993 



smearing with brains is gone through, after which it is stretched and 

 dried, and then smoked over a fire of rotten wood, which imparts a 

 lively yellow colour to it. The article is then ready for service. Of 

 parchment, as such, the Chipewyans make little use, but the residents 

 avail themselves of it in place of glass for windows, for constructing 

 the sides of dog-carrioles, and for making glue. The leather is service- 

 able in a variety of ways, but is principally made up into tents and 

 articles of clothing, and in the fabrication of dog-harnesses and fine 

 cords, wallets, &c. The capotes, gowns, firebags, mittens, moccasins and 

 trousers made of it are often richly ornamented with quills and beads, 

 and when new look very neat and becoming. The best dressers of 

 leather in these parts are the Slave Lake Chipewyans and Liai d's River 

 Slaves. The lines and cords are of various sizes, the largest being 

 used for sled lines and pack-cords, the smaller answer for lacing snow 

 shoes and other purposes. In order to make sled lines pliant — a very 

 necessary quality when the temperature is 40° or 50° below the zero of 

 Fahr. — the cord is first soaked in fat-fish liquor; it is then dried in 

 the frost, and afterwards rubbed by hauling it through the eye of an axe ; 

 to complete the operation it is well greased, and any hard lumps mas- 

 ticated until they become soft, by which process a line is produced of 

 great strength and pliancy, and which is not liable to crack in the 

 most severe cold. To obtain thread the fibres of the sinews are sepa- 

 rated and twisted into the required sizes. The moose furnishes the 

 best quality of this article, which is used by the natives to sew both 

 leather and cloth, to make rabbit-snares and to weave into fishing nets. 

 Sinews can be boiled down into an excellent glue or size. In mounting 

 knives and awls with the horns,*lead, copper and iron are used for 

 inlaying, and rather handsome articles are sometimes produced. The 

 making of spoons, tipping of arrows and carving of fish-hooks require 

 little explanation, nor does the stuffing of dog-collars and embroider- 

 ing with the hair need any particular comment, so I shall conclude 

 this imperfect notice of a very valuable animal, which yields food, 

 shelter and clothing to the savage inhabitants of this remote and dreary 

 portion of the globe. 



Reindeer. Two species inhabit this district, the strong-wood rein- 

 deer (Rangifer caribou) and the barren-ground reindeer {R. arcticus), 

 which, though very nearly allied, are certainly distinct one from the 

 other. The strong-wood reindeer inhabit the thickly wooded parts of 

 the district, particularly among and in the vicinity of the mountain 

 ranges, where they are of very large size. Though smaller than the 

 moose these deer are of considerable bulk, and weigh up to 300 lbs. 

 VOL. XX. Z 



