146 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



" The Chipewyans suppose the Esquimaux originally inhabited 

 some land to the northward which is separated by the sea from this 

 country ; and that in the earliest ages of the world a party of these 

 men came over, and stole a woman from their tribe, whom they 

 carried to this distant country and kept in a state of slavery. She 

 was very unhappy in her situation, and effected her escape after 

 many years' residence among them. The forlorn creature wandered 

 about, for some days, in a state of uncertainty what direction to take, 

 when she chanced to fall upon a beaten path, which she followed, 

 and was led to the sea. At the sight of the ocean her hope of 

 being able to return to her native country vanished, and she sat 

 herself down in despair, and wept. A wolf now advanced to caress 

 her, and having licked the tears from her eyes, walked into the water, 

 and she perceived with joy that it did not reach up to the body 

 of the animal ; emboldened by this appearance, she instantly arose, 

 having determined on venturing after the wolf, and she immediately 

 provided two sticks to support herself. The first and second nights 

 she proceeded on, without finding any increase in the depth of the 

 water, and when fatigued, rested herself on the sticks, whose upper 

 ends she fastened together for the purpose. She was alarmed on 

 the third morning, by arriving at a deeper part, but she resolved on 

 going forward at any risk, rather than return ; and her daring perse- 

 verance was crowned with success, by her attaining her native shore 

 on the fifth day. She fortunately came to a part where there was 

 a beaten path, which she knew to be the track made by the rein- 

 deer in their migrations. Here she halted, and prepared some sort 

 of weapon for killing them ; as soon as this was completed, she had 

 the gratification to behold several herds of them advancing along 

 the road, and had the happiness of killing a sufficient number for 

 her winter's subsistence, which she determined to pass at that place, 

 and therefore formed a house for herself, after the manner she had 

 learned from the Esquimaux. When spring came, and she emerged 



