North-West Continent of America. 



107 



the moss being changed as often as the occasion requires. 

 The chief of the nation had no less than nine wives, and 

 children in proportion. 



When traders first appeared among these people, the Ca- 

 nadians were treated with the utmost hospitality and atten- 

 tion ; but they have, by their subsequent conduct, taught 

 the natives to withdraw that respect from them, and some- 

 times to treat them with indignity. They differ very much 

 from the Chepewyans and Knisteneaux, in the abhorrence 

 they profess of any carnal communication between their 

 women and the white people. They carry their love of 

 gaming to excess ; they will pursue it for a succession of 

 days and nights, and no apprehension of ruin, nor influ- 

 ence of domestic affection, will restrain them from the 

 indulgence of it. They are a quick, lively, active people, 

 with a keen, penetrating, dark eye ; and though they are 

 very susceptible of anger, are as easily appeased. The 

 males eradicate their beards, and the females their hair in 

 every part, except their heads, where it is strong and 

 black, and without a curl. There are many old men among 

 them, but they are in general ignorant of the space in 

 which they have been inhabitants of the earth, though one 

 of them told me that he recollected sixty winters. 



An Indian in some measure explained his age to me, 

 by relating that he remembered the opposite hills and 

 plains, now interspersed with groves of poplars, when 

 they were covered with moss, and without any animal in- 

 habitant but the rein-deer. By degrees, he said, the face 

 of the country changed to its present appearance, when 

 the elk came from the East, and was followed by the buf- 

 faloe; the rein-deer then retired to the long range of high 

 lands that, at a considerable distance, run parallel with 

 this river. 



On the 20th of April, I had an observation of Jupiter 

 and his satellites, for the longitude, and we were now vi- 

 sited by our summer companions the gnats and musqui- 

 toes. On the other side of the river, which was yet covered 

 with ice, the plains were delightful ; the trees were bud- 

 ding, and many plants in blossom. Mr. Mackay brought 

 me a bunch of flowers, of a pink colour, and a yellow but- 

 ton, encircled with six leaves of a light purple. The change 

 in the appearance of nature was as sudden as it was pleas- 

 ing, for a few days only were passed away since the ground 



