58 



Journal of a Voyage through the 



to be employed ; or at least, that appeared to be the idea 

 they wished to convey to us, by continually snapping 

 the strings of the former, and the signs they made to for- 

 bid our approach. The English Chief, whose language 

 they, in some degree, understood, endeavoured to re- 

 move their distrust of us ; but till I went to them with a 

 present of beads, they refused to have any communica- 

 tion with us. 



When they first "perceived our sail, they took us for the 

 Esquimaux Indians, who employ a sail in their canoes. 

 They were suspicious of our designs, and questioned us 

 with a view to obtain some knowledge of them. On see- 

 ing us in possession of some of the clothes, bows, &c. 

 which must have belonged to some of the Deguthee De- 

 nees, or Quarrellers, they imagined that we had killed 

 some of them, and were bearing away the fruits of our 

 victory. They appeared, indeed, to be of the same tribe, 

 though they were afraid of acknowledging it. From their 

 questions, it was evident that they had not received any 

 notice of our being in those parts. 



They would not acknowledge that they had any women 

 with them, though we had seen them running to the 

 woods ; but pretended that they had been left at a consi- 

 derable distance from the river, with some relations, who 

 were engaged in killing rein-deer. These people had 

 been here but a short time, and their lodge was not yet 

 completed; nor had they any fish in a state of preparation 

 for their provision. I gave them a knife and some beads 

 for an horn-wedge or chisel, with which they split their 

 canoe-wood. One of my Indians having broken his pad- 

 dle, attempted to take one of theirs, which was immedi- 

 ately contested by its owner, and on my interfering to 

 prevent this act of injustice, he manifested his gratitude 

 to me on the occasion. We lost an hour and a half in this 

 conference. 



The English Chief was during the whole of the time 

 in the woods, where some of the hidden property was dis- 

 covered, but the women contrived to elude the search 

 that was made after them. Some of these articles were 

 purloined, but I was ignorant of this circumstance till we 

 had taken our departure, or I should certainly have given 

 an ample remuneration. Our chief expressed his dis- 

 pleasure at their running away to conceal themselves, their 

 property, and their young women, in very bitter terms. 



