104 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



swellings in the ankles to proceed to La Mont6e, the North- West 

 Company's establishment, distant about three miles ; but Mr. Hallet, 

 the gentleman in charge, came the following morning, and I pre- 

 sented to him the circular from Mr. S. Mac Gillivray. He had 

 already been furnished, however, with a copy of it from Mr. Connolly 

 and was quite prepared to contribute any assistance that we might 

 require to forward our advance to the Athabasca. 



Mr. Back and I having been very desirous to see some of the 

 Stone Indians, who reside on the plains in this vicinity, learned with 

 regret that a large band of them had left the house on the pre- 

 ceding day; but our curiosity was amply gratified by the appearance 

 of some individuals, on the following and every subsequent day 

 during our stay. 



The looks of these people would have prepossessed me in their 

 favour, but from the assurances I had received from the gentle- 

 men of the posts, of their gross and habitual treachery. Their 

 countenances are affable and pleasing, their eyes large and expressive, 

 nose aquiline, teeth white and regular, the forehead bold, the cheek- 

 bones rather high. Their figure is usually good, above the middle 

 size, with slender, but well proportioned, limbs. Their colour is a 

 light copper, and they have a profusion of very black hair, which 

 hangs over the ears, and shades the face. Their dress, which I 

 think extremely neat and convenient, consists of a vest and trowsers 

 of leather fitted to the body ; over these a buffalo robe is tastefully 

 thrown. These dresses are in general cleaned with white-mud, a 

 sort of marl, though some use red-earth, a kind of bog-iron-ore ; but 

 this colour neither looks so light, nor forms such an agreeable con- 

 trast as the white with the black hair of the robe. Their quiver hangs 

 behind them, and in the hand is carried the bow, with an arrow 

 always ready for attack or defence, and sometimes they have a gun ; 

 they also carry a bag containing materials for making a fire, some 

 tobacco, the calumet or pipe, and whatever valuables they may 



