ACCOUNT OF THE INDIANS. 



291 



something to wrap around their bodies, it is highly 

 probable, that they would immediately go and 

 play away the borrowed garment. Or, if the bor- 

 rower belonged to another village, he would be 

 likely to run off with it, and the owner would ne- 

 ver hear of him afterward; for I never knew a 

 Carrier to be grateful for a favour bestowed upon 

 him. At play, they often loose a part of a gar- 

 ment, as the sleeves of a coat, which some of 

 them now purchase from us, a whole, or the half 

 of a leggin, which they will tear off, and deliver 

 to the winner. They have been known to cut off 

 a foot or more of their guns, when lost at play ; 

 for, like more gentlemanly gamblers, they consider 

 such debts, as debts of honour. 



The Carriers are not so ingenious as their 

 neighbours, the Nate-ote-tains and At-e-nas. The 

 men, however, make canoes, which are clumsily 

 wrought, of the aspin tree, as well as of the bark 

 of the spruce fir. The former, will carry from 

 half a ton to a ton and an half burthen, while the 

 latter, will carry from one to four grown persons. 

 The women make excellent nets, of the inner 

 bark of the willow tree, and of nettles, which an- 

 swer better for taking small fish, than any which 

 we obtain from Canada, made of twine or thread. 



The Carriers, in common with the other In- 

 dian tribes, before their country was visited by 



