152 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



imitating the gestures of a Canadian, who 

 placed himself in the most ludicrous pos- 

 tures ; and, whenever this was done, the 

 gravity of the chief gave way to violent 

 bursts of laughter. In return for the grati- 

 fication Akaitcho had enjoyed, he desired 

 his young men to exhibit the Dog-Rib 

 Indian dance ; and immediately they ranged 

 themselves in a circle, and, keeping their 

 legs widely separated, began to jump simul- 

 taneously sideways ; their bodies were bent, 

 their hands placed on their hips, and they 

 uttered forcibly the interjection tsa at each 

 jump. Devoid as were their attitudes of 

 grace, and their music of harmony, we were 

 much amused by the novelty of the exhibi- 

 tion. 



In the midst of this scene an untoward 

 accident occurred, which for a time inter- 

 rupted our amusements. The tent in which 

 Dr. Richardson and I lodged, having caught 

 fire from some embers that had been placed 

 in it to expel the musquitoes, was entirely 

 burnt. Hepburn, who was sleeping within 

 it close to some powder, most providentially 



