Harmon's journal. 



81 



Thursday, 30. Different kinds of berries are 

 now ripe, such as strawberries, raspberries, 

 and what the Canadians call paires, which the 

 Natives denominate Mi-sas-qui-to-min-uck. The 

 last, if thej are not the same in kind, exactly 

 resemble, in shape and taste, what in the New 

 England states are called shad berries. When 

 they are found in the prairies, they grow on bush- 

 es, four or five feet high ; but in a thick wood they 

 often reach to the height of fifteen or twenty feet. 

 Of this wood, the Natives always make their ar- 

 rows. These berries, when properly dried by the 

 sun, have an agreeable taste, and are excellent to 

 mix with pimican. The Natives generally boil 

 them in the broth of fat meat ; and this constitutes 

 one of their most dainty dishes, and is introduced 

 at all their feasts. 



Mr. A. N. M c Leod has a son here named Al- 

 exander, who is nearly five years of age, and whose 

 Mother is of the tribe of the Rapid Indians. In my 

 leisure time, lam teaching him the rudiments of the 

 English language. The boy speaks the Sauteux 

 and Cree fluently, for a child ; and makes him- 

 self understood tolerably well, in the Assiniboin 

 and French languages. In short, he is like most 

 of the children of this country, blessed with a re- 

 tentive memory, and learns very readily. 



We have made about ten tons of hay, to feed 

 11 



