NorthrWest Continent of America. 235 



CHAPTER X. 



Continue our journey. Embark on a river. Come to a 

 weir. Dexterity of the natives in passing it. Arrive at 

 a village. Alarm occasioned among the natives. The 

 subsequent favourable reception, accompanied with a ban- 

 quet of ceremony. Circumstances of it. Description of 

 a village, its houses, and places of devotion. Account of 

 the customs, mode of living, and superstition of the inha- 

 bitants. Description of the Chiefs canoe. Leave the 

 place, and proceed on our voyage, 



1793/ \ ^ T one m th e afternoon we embarked, with 6\xt 

 small baggage, in two canoes, accompanied by seven of 

 the natives. The stream was rapid, and ran upwards of 

 six miles an hour. We came to a weir, such as I have 

 already described, where the natives landed us, and shot 

 over it without taking a drop of water. They then receiv- 

 ed us on board again, and we continued our voyage, pas- 

 sing many canoes on the river, some with people in them, 

 and others empty. We proceeded at a very great rate for 

 about two hours and an half, when we were informed that 

 we must land, as the village was only at a short distance. 

 I had imagined that the Canadians who accompanied me 

 were the most expert canoe-men in the world, but they 

 are very inferior to these people, as they themselves ac- 

 knowledged, in conducting those vessels. 



Some of the Indians ran before us, to announce our ap- 

 proach, when we took our bundles and followed. We 

 had walked along a well-beaten path, through a kind of 

 coppice, when we were informed of the arrival of our 

 couriers at the houses, by the loud and confused talking 

 of the inhabitants. As we approached the edge of the 

 wood, and were almost in sight of the houses, the Indians 

 who were before me, made signs for me to take the lead r 

 and that they would follow. The noise and confusion of 

 the natives now seemed to increase, and when we came in 

 sight of the village, we saw them running from house 

 to house, some armed with bows and arrows, others 

 with spears, and many with axes, as if in a state of great 

 alarm. This very unpleasant and unexpected ciixum- 



