220 Journal of a Voyage through the 



they followed me with the utmost reluctance. On look- 

 ing back I perceived that we were in an Indian defile, of 

 fifty yards in length. I, however, was close upon the 

 house before the inhabitants perceived us, when the wo- 

 men and children uttered the most horrid shrieks, and 

 the only man who appeared to be with them, escaped out 

 of a back door, which I reached in time to prevent the 

 women and children from following him. The man fled 

 with all his speed into the wood, and I called in vain on 

 my interpreters to speak to him, but they were so agitat- 

 ed with fear as to have lost the power of utterance. It is 

 impossible to describe the distress and alarm of these poor 

 people, who believing that they were attacked by enemies, 

 expected an immediate massacre, which, among them- 

 selves, never fails to follow such an event. 



Our prisoners consisted of three women, and seven 

 children, which apparently composed three families. At 

 length, however, by our demeanor, and our presents, we 

 contrived to dissipate their apprehensions. One of the 

 women then informed us, that their people, with seve- 

 ral others, had left that place three nights before, on a 

 trading journey to a tribe whom she called Annah, which 

 is the name the Chepewyans give to the Knisteneaux, at 

 the distance of three days. She added also, that from 

 the mountains before us, which were covered with snow, 

 the sea was visible; and accompanied her information 

 with a present of a couple of dried fish. We now ex- 

 pressed our desire that the man might be induced to re- 

 turn, and conduct us in the road to the sea. Indeed, it 

 was not long before he discovered himself in the wood, 

 when he was assured, both by the women and our inter- 

 preters, that we had no hostile design against him ; but 

 these assurances had no effect in quieting his apprehen- 

 sions. I then attempted to go to him alone, and showed 

 him a knife, beads, &c. to induce him to come to me, 

 but he, in return, made an hostile display of his bow and 

 arrows ; and, having for a time exhibited a variety of 

 strange antics, again disappeared. However, he soon 

 presented himself in another quarter, and after a succes- 

 sion of parleys between us, he engaged to come and ac- 

 company us. 



While these negotiations were proceeding, I proposed to 

 visit the fishing machines, to which the women readily con- 

 sented, and I found in them twenty small fish, such as trout, 



