OF THE POLAR SEA. Ill 



ardent spirits. They are so passionately 

 fond of this poison, that they will make any 

 sacrifice to obtain it. They are good hun- 

 ters, and in general active. Having laid 

 the bow and arrow altogether aside, and the 

 use of snares, except for rabbits and par- 

 tridges, they depend entirely on the Euro- 

 peans for the means of gaining subsistence, 

 as they require guns, and a constant supply 

 of powder and shot; so that these Indians 

 are probably more completely under the 

 power of the trader than any of the other 

 tribes. As I only saw a few straggling 

 parties of them during short intervals, and 

 under unfavourable circumstances of sick- 

 ness and famine, I am unable to give, from 

 personal observation, any detail of their 

 manners and customs; and must refer the 

 reader to Dr. Richardson's account of them 

 in the following chapter. That gentleman, 

 during his long residence at the post, had 

 many opportunities of seeing them and ac- 

 quiring their language. 



January 17. — This morning the sporting 

 part of our society had rather a novel di- 



