OF THE POLAR SEA. 



117 



the horrors of famine. One evening, early 

 in the month of January, a poor Indian en- 

 tered the North- West Company's House, 

 carrying his only child in his arms, and fol- 

 lowed by his starving wife. They had been 

 hunting apart from the other bands, had 

 been unsuccessful, and whilst in want were 

 seized with the epidemical disease. An 

 Indian is accustomed to starve, and it is 

 not easy to elicit from him an account of his 

 sufferings. This poor man's story was very 

 brief; as soon as the fever abated, he set 

 out with his wife for Cumberland House, 

 having been previously reduced to feed on 

 the bits of skin and offal which remained 

 about their encampment. Even this miser- 

 able fare was exhausted, and they walked 

 several days without eating, yet exerting 

 themselves far beyond their strength that 

 they might save the life of the infant. It 

 died almost within sight of the house. Mr. 

 Connolly, who was then in charge of the 

 post, received them with the utmost huma- 

 nity, and instantly placed food before them ; 

 but no language can describe the manner in 



