A General History of the Fur Trade, 



times met people of their own nation, who had prosecuted 

 similar conquests up that river. In that country they 

 found abundance of fish and animals, such as have been al- 

 ready described, with the addition of the buffaloes, who 

 range in the partial patches of meadow scattered along the 

 rivers and lakes. From thence they returned in the spring 

 to the friends whom they had left ; and at the same time 

 met with others who had penetrated, with the same designs, 

 into the Athabasca country, which will be described here- 

 after. 



The spring was the period of this joyful meeting, when 

 their time was occupied in feasting, dancing, and other pas- 

 times, which were occasionally suspended for sacrifice, and 

 religious solemnity; while the narratives of their travels, and 

 the history of their wars, amused and animated the festival. 

 The time of rejoicing was but short, and was soon inter- 

 rupted by the necessary preparations for their annual journey 

 to Churchill, to exchange their furs for such European arti- 

 cles as were now become necessary to them. The shortness 

 of the seasons, and the great length of their way requiring 

 the utmost dispatch, the most active men of the tribe, with 

 their youngest women, and a few of their children under- 

 took the voyage, under the direction of some of their chiefs, 

 following the waters already described, to their discharge 

 at Churchill Factory, which are called, as has already been 

 observed, the Missinipi, or Great Waters. There they 

 remained no longer than was sufficient to barter their com- 

 modities, with a supernumerary day or two to gratify them- 

 selves with the indulgence of spirituous liquors. At the 

 same time the inconsiderable quantity they could purchase 

 to carry away with them, for a regale with their friends, was 

 held sacred, and reserved to heighten the enjoyment of 

 their return home, when the amusements, festivity, and re- 

 ligious solemnities of the spring were repeated. The usual 

 time approbated to these convivialities being completed, 

 they separated, to pursue their different objects ; and if 

 they were determined to go to war, they made the necessa- 

 ry arrangements for their future operations. 



But we must now renew the progress of the route. It is 

 not more than two miles from Isle a la Crosse Fort, to a 

 point of land which forms a cheek of that part of the lake 

 called the Riviere Creuse, which preserves the breadth al- 

 ready mentioned for upwards of twenty miles ; then con- 

 tracts to about two, for the distance of ten miles more, when 



