424 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



evening near to Spy Hill, called also Ka-pa-kam-a-ou, or 

 "Some one knocked;" from a tragic incident which 

 occurred during the early history of the fur trade. A 

 war party of Assinniboines were following a body of 

 Crees, and had despatched a spy to ascertain the nature 

 of their camping ground. The spy placed himself on the 

 summit of " Spy Hill " during the night time, in order to 

 examine the camp of the Crees at the early dawn. A 

 Cree warrior started at nightfall to Spy Hill for the 

 purpose of watching the Assinniboines. When the 

 morning dawned the Cree observed that he was lying 

 within a few yards of the Assinniboine spy ; he ap- 

 proached him stealthily, and succeeded in dealing a fatal 

 blow before his enemy was aware of his presence, hence 

 the name Ka-pa-kam-a-ou, or " Some one knocked." 



Before reaching Spy Hill we saw a tent in the 

 distance, prettily pitched on the banks of a small stream. 

 Eiding thither with an interpreter, I found an Ojibway 

 family, consisting of one man, two wives, and several 

 children. The Indian was a celebrated hunter, and 

 showed me the produce of his summer hunt, which he 

 was taking for barter to Fort Ellice. It consisted of 

 twenty-two dressed moose skins, some bundles of sinews, 

 and one or two red deer skins. He had killed the moose 

 and deer on the west flanks of the Eiding and Duck Moun- 

 tains, and appeared to be proud of his success, which was 

 certainly extraordinary at the present day. The money 

 value of the twenty-two moose skins would be about 

 eleven pounds sterling at Fort Ellice, and the Indian would 

 receive in trade articles not exceeding hi their aggregate 

 value one-third of that sum. When one Indian during the 

 summer kills twenty-two large animals like the moose, 

 which would be at least three times as much as he would 

 require to feed his family, there can be no room for as- 



