60 Journal of a Voyage through the 



agitation when they were awakened by us, though most of 

 them had seen us before. Their habitations were crowded 

 with fish, hanging to dry in every part ; but as we wanted 

 some for present use, we sent their young men to visit the 

 nets, and they returned with abundance of large white fish, 

 to which the name has been given of poisson inconnu ; some 

 of a round shape, and green colour ; and a few white ones ; 

 all which were very agreeable food. Some beads, and a 

 few other trifles, were gratefully received in return. These 

 people are very fond of iron-work of any kind, and my 

 men purchased several of their articles for small pieces 

 of tin. 



There were five or six persons whom we had not seen 

 before ; and among them was a Dog-rib Indian, whom 

 some private quarrel had driven from his countrv. The 

 English Chief understood him as well as one of his own 

 nation, and gave the following account of their conversa- 

 tion : — 



He had been informed by the people with whom he now 

 lives, the Hare Indians, that there is another river on the 

 -other side of the mountains to the South- West, which 

 falls into the Belkoullay Toe, or White-man's Lake, in 

 comparison of which that on whose banks we then were, 

 was but a small stream ; that the natives were very large, 

 and very wicked, and kill common men with their eyes ; 

 that they make canoes larger than ours ; that those who 

 inhabit the entrance of it kill a kind of beaver, the skin of 

 which is almost red ; and that large canoes often frequent 

 it. As there is no known communication by water with 

 this river, the natives who saw it went over the moun- 

 tains. 



As he mentioned that there were some beavers in this 

 part of the country, I told him to hunt it, and desire the 

 others to do the same, as well as the martins, foxes, bea- 

 ver-eater or wolvereen, &c. which they might carry to 

 barter for iron with his own nation, who are supplied with 

 goods by us, near their country. He was anxious to know 

 whether we should return that way : at the same time he 

 informed us that we should see but few of the natives along 

 the river, as ail the young men were engaged in killing 

 rein-deer, near the Esquimaux Lake, which, he also said, 

 was at no great distance. The latter he represented as 

 very treacherous, and added, that they had killed one of 

 his people. He told us, likewise, that some plan of re- 



