AN OJIBWAY JOKE. 



45 



and another sounding showed 90 feet half a mile from 

 land. The waters of Dog Lake at the time of our visit 

 (Aug. 8th) appeared to be teeming with countless millions 

 of animalculse visible to the unassisted eye. The water 

 marks showed an elevation slightly exceeding three feet 

 above the level at the time of observation. 



In making the traverse I timed the voyageurs at their 

 paddles, and found they made one stroke a second, or 

 sixty a minute, with remarkable accuracy. This would 

 give for a day's work, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., with two 

 hours stoppage, 12 hours, at 3600 strokes per hour, or 

 43,200 strokes a day. 



We soon began to find that no feeling of sympathy 

 existed between our Iroquois and Ojibway voyageurs ; 

 nor was any effort made by individuals of either nation 

 to assist or enliven those of the other. As an instance 

 of their utter indifference and selfishness, the following 

 trait may be mentioned. One of the Iroquois from 

 Caughnawaga was very ill at Fort William, and not 

 only incapable of working, but unable to walk without 

 assistance. He suffered much from chills and cramps, 

 and was thought to be in a very dangerous condition ; 

 with care, medicine, and a good constitution, he grew 

 a little better, and was able to eat, but the salt pork 

 and salt beef we had with us were not very well adapted 

 for a man so much reduced in flesh and slowly recovering 

 from a severe illness. I shot a pigeon, and in the hearing 

 of the Ojibways stated that it was to be cooked for the 

 sick man. The following day I found that the Ojibway 

 who picked up the pigeon had not only eaten it in the 

 presence of the invalid Iroquois, but he and his com- 

 panions had devoured two partridges which had also been 

 reserved for the Iroquois. Another day, passing near the 

 fire of the Ojibways, I found them roasting a pike which 



