OF THE POLAR SEA. 



57 



and are generally assiduous in the occupation. Having laid the 

 bow and arrow altogether aside, and the use of snares, except for 

 rabbits and partridges, they depend entirely on the Europeans for 

 the means of gaining their 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 sickness and famine, I am unable to give, from personal ob- 

 servation, any account of their manners and customs ; I must 

 refer the reader, therefore, to Dr. Kichardson's account of thein 

 which will be found in the following chapter. That gentleman, 

 during his longer residence at the post, had many opportunities 

 of seeing the natives, and made considerable progress in their lan- 

 guage. 



January 17- — This morning the sporting part of our society had 

 rather a novel diversion : intelligence having been brought that a 

 wolf had borne away a steel trap, in which he had been caught, a 

 party went in search of the marauder, and took two English bull- 

 dogs and a terrier, which had been brought into the country this 

 season. On the first sight of the animal the dogs became alarmed, 

 and stood barking at a distance, and probably would not have ven- 

 tured to advance, had they not seen the wolf fall by a shot from 

 one of the gentlemen ; they then, however, went up, and behaved 

 courageously, and were enraged by the bites they received. The 

 wolf soon died of its wounds, and the body was brought to the 

 house, where a drawing of it was taken by Mr. Hood, and the 

 skin preserved by Dr. Kichardson. Its general features bore a strong 

 resemblance to many of the dogs about the fort, but it was larger, 

 and had a more ferocious aspect. Mr. Back and I were too much 

 occupied in preparing for our departure on the following day to join 

 this excursion. 



