APPENDIX. 



131 



great success, they returned a good deal out of humour. A little 

 boy of theirs, about three years old, whom they appeared to be 

 doatingly fond of, watching for his father and mother's return, ran 

 into the surf to meet them ; the father handed a basket of eggs to 

 the child, which being too heavy for him to carry, he let it fall, upon 

 which the father jumped out of the canoe, and catching the boy up 

 in his arms, dashed him with the utmost violence against the stones. 

 The poor little creature lay motionless and bleeding, and in that 

 condition was taken up by the mother ; but died soon after. She 

 appeared inconsolable for some time ; but the brute, his father, 

 shewed little concern about it." 



The first thing that the Indians' did in the morning, was to take 

 their canoes to pieces : and here, for the information of the reader, 

 it will be necessary to describe the structure of these boats, which are 

 extremely well calculated for the use of these Indians, as they are 

 frequently obliged to carry them over-land a long way together, 

 through thick woods, to avoid doubling capes and head-lands, in seas 

 where no open boat could live. They generally consist of five pieces, 

 or planks ; one for the bottom and two for each side ; and as these 

 people have no iron tools, the labour must be great in hacking a 

 single plank out of a large tree with shells and flints, though with 

 the help of fire. Along the edges of the plank they made small holes, 

 at about an inch from one to the other, and sew them together with 

 the supple-jack, or woodbine ; but as these holes are not filled up by 

 the substance of the woodbine, their boats would be immediately full 

 of water if they had not a method of preventing it. They do this 

 very effectually by the bark of a tree, which they first steep in 

 water for some time, and then beat it between two stones till it 

 answers the use of oakum, and then chinse each hole so well, that 

 they do not admit of the least water coming through, and are easily 

 taken asunder and put together again. When they have occasion 

 to go over-land, as at this time, each man or woman carries a plank, 

 whereas it would be impossible for them to drag a heavy boat 

 entire." 



" Quite worn out with fatigue, I soon fell asleep, and awaking 

 before day, I thought I heard some voices at no great distance from 

 me. As the day appeared, looking further into the wood, I per- 



