225 



Journal of a Voyage through the 



pemmican, by way of providing against our return. I 

 therefore left two of the men behind, with directions to 

 bury it, as usual, under the place where we had made our 

 fire. 



Our course was about West-South-West by the side of 

 the lake, and in about two miles we came to the end of it. 

 Here was a general halt, when my men overtook us. I 

 was now informed, that some people of another tribe were 

 sent for, who wished very much to see us, two of whom 

 would accompany us over the mountains; that, as for 

 themselves, they had changed their mind, and intended to 

 follow a small river which issued out of the lake, and went 

 in. a direction very different from the line of our journey. 

 This was a disappointment, which, though not uncommon 

 to us, might have been followed by considerable inconve- 

 niencies. It was my wish to continue with them what- 

 ever way they went ; but neither my promises or entrea- 

 ties would avail : these people were not to be turned from 

 their purpose ; and when I represented the low state of 

 our provisions, one of them answered, that if we would 

 stay with them all night, he would boil a kettle of fish-roes 

 for us. Accordingly, without receiving any answer, he 

 began to make preparation to fulfil his engagement. He 

 took the roes out of a bag, and having bruised them be- 

 tween two stones, put them in water to soak. His wife 

 then took an handful of dry grass in her hand, with which 

 she squeezed them through her fingers ; in the mean time 

 her husband was employed in gathering wood to make a 

 fire, for the purpose of heating stones. When she had 

 finished her operation, she filled a watape kettle nearly 

 full of water, and poured the roes into it. When the 

 stones were sufficiently heated, some of them were put 

 into the kettle, and others were thrown in from time to 

 time, till the water was in a state of boiling ; the woman 

 also continued stirring the contents of the kettle, till 

 they were brought to a thick consistency ; the stones were 

 then taken out, and the whole was seasoned with about 

 a pint of strong rancid oil. The smell of this curious dish 

 was sufficient to sicken me without tasting it, but the 

 hunger of my people surmounted the nauseous meal. 

 When unadulterated by the stinking oil, these boiled 

 roes are not unpalatable food. 



In the mean time four of the people who had been ex- 

 pected, arrived, and, according to the account given of 



