126 SUFFERINGS OF THE INDIANS. 



life : in the apparent consciousness of having 

 done an act of filial duty and of mercy. 



The old man who was brought to the Settle- 

 ment, by his daughter for relief soon recovered, 

 so as to become exceedingly troublesome by 

 coming almost daily to my room. I succeeded 

 at length in starting them for some hunters 

 tents on the plains, where they expressed a 

 wish to go, if supplied with provisions to carry 

 them there, by killing a small dog, and giving 

 it to them for food. An ox would not have 

 been more acceptable to a distressed European 

 family than this animal was to these Indians. 

 But on leaving me two more families came to 

 my residence in a state of starvation. Necessity 

 had compelled them to eat their dogs, and they 

 themselves were harnessed to their sledges, 

 dragging them in a most wretched and ema- 

 ciated condition. One of the men appeared to 

 be reduced to the last stage of existence, and 

 upon giving him a fish and a few cooked pota- 

 toes, such was his natural affection for his 

 children, that, instead of voraciously devouring 

 the small portion of food, he divided it into 

 morsels, and gave it to them in the most affec- 

 tionate maimer. His children from their ap- 

 pearance had partaken of by far the largest 



