102 



HARMON 1 S JOURNAL. 



to cut their wood with implements, made of stone 

 or bone. 



Thursday, December 25. Severe cold weath- 

 er. This day being Christmas, our people have 

 spent it as usual, in drinking and fighting. — My ed- 

 ucation has taught me, that the advent of a Sa- 

 viour, ought to be celebrated in a far different 

 manner. — Of all people in the world, 1 think the 

 Canadians, when drunk, are the most disagreea- 

 ble ; for excessive drinking generally causes them 

 to quarrel and fight, among themselves. Indeed, 

 I had rather have fifty drunken Indians in the fort, 

 than five drunken Canadians. 



Thursday, January 27,1803. I have just return- 

 ed from Alexandria, where I passed six days, much 

 to my satisfaction, in the company of Messrs. H. 

 M c Gillies, W. Henry and F. Goedike. While 

 there, I wrote to Messrs. M c Leod, A. Henry and 

 J. Clarke, all of Athabasca, which letters will be 

 taken to them, by our winter express. 



Sunday, February 20. Yesterday morning, 

 one of the Indian women came to the fort and said, 

 her husband had cut off her nose, and was deter- 

 mined to kill her, and that she therefore thought 

 proper to leave him, and go to Alexandria, where 

 she would be out of his reach, at least for the 

 present. But, after her arrival here, she altered 

 her mind, and desired my interpreter to put an 



