60 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



hunters. The women marry very young, have a custom of suckling 

 their children for several years, and are besides exposed constantly to 

 fatigue and often to famine ; hence they are not prolific, bearing upon 

 an average not more than four children, of whom two may attain 

 the age of puberty. Upon these data, the amount of each family 

 may be stated at five, and the whole Indian population in the dis- 

 trict at five hundred. 



This is but a small population for such an extent of country, yet 

 their mode of life occasionally subjects them to great privations. The 

 winter of our residence at Cumberland House proved extremely 

 severe to the Indians. The hooping-cough made its appearance 

 amongst them in the autumn, and was followed by the measles, 

 which, in the course of the winter spread through the tribe. Many 

 died, and most of the survivors were so enfeebled as to be un- 

 able to pursue the necessary avocations of hunting and fishing. 

 Even those who experienced only a slight attack, or escaped the sick- 

 ness altogether, dispirited by the scenes of misery which environed 

 them, were rendered incapable of affording relief to their distressed 

 relations, and spent their time in conjuring and drumming to avert 

 the pestilence. Those who were able came to the fort and received 

 relief, but many who had retired with their families to distant 

 corners, to pursue their winter hunts, experienced all the horrors of 

 famine. One evening, early in the month of January, a poor Indian 

 entered the North- West Company's House, carrying his only child 

 in his arms, and followed 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 



