208 JOUllNEY TO THE SHORES 



often obliged to overlook the grossest of- 

 fences, even murder, though the delinquents 

 present themselves with unblushing ef- 

 frontery almost immediately after the fact, 

 and perhaps boast of it. They do not, on 

 detection, consider themselves under any 

 obligation to deliver up what they have 

 stolen without receiving an equivalent. 



The Stone Indians keep in amity with 

 their neighbours the Crees from motives of 

 interest ; and the two tribes unite in deter- 

 mined hostility against the nations dwelling 

 to the westward, which are generally called 

 Slave Indians — a term of reproach applied 

 by the Crees to those tribes against whom 

 they have waged successful wars. The 

 Slave Indians are said greatly to resemble 

 the Stone Indians, being equally desperate 

 and daring in their acts of aggression and 

 dishonesty towards the traders. 



These parties go to war almost every 

 summer, and sometimes muster three or 

 four hundred horsemen on each side. Their 

 leaders, in aproaching the foe, exercise all 

 the caution of the most skilful generals ; 



