INDIAN HOSPITALITY. 



485 



from time to time as he scooped them from the eddies in 

 his vicinity. The excellence and abundance of these 

 white-fish, and the proximity of this locality to the salt 

 region, together with the facilities for water communica- 

 tion, may lead to the establishment of a fishery here on 

 an extensive scale. The Indians were curing the fish 

 without salt, by splitting them very thin and drying them 

 in the sun. 



We were invited into one of the tents to partake of 

 some fish which they had cooked for us. A large birch- 

 bark dish of fish was set before us, the whole of which we 

 had to eat, according to Indian custom, not to give offence 

 to our entertainers. As an extra mark of favour, an old 

 fellow in a very dirty blanket strewed a few grains of 

 black-looking salt over my portion. This salt he carried 

 beneath his belt in a piece of birch-bark. 



Being without a guide I got one of the Little Saskat- 

 chewan Indians to draw me a map of the lake between 

 Bushkega Islands and Grassy Narrows, showing the tra- 

 verses and route to be taken between the islands in order 

 to cross the great arms of the lake, Fisher Bay and 

 Washow Bay. This Indian chart was of great service to 

 us ; the best and most recent maps of the lake to which I 

 had access being so incorrect : on them the general con- 

 tour of the coast north of the Little Saskatchewan is 

 tolerably well delineated, but to the coast north and south 

 of the Dog's Head Straits they bear very little resem 

 blance ; the large islands are omitted altogether, and the 

 Great Black Island is represented as forming the ex- 

 tremity of a promontory on the mainland between two 

 bays. 



From the beginning, our canoe was very weak, the bark 

 being of the poorest description and badly put together, 

 and having now become quite frail I tried to barter witli 



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