84 TRAVELS THROUGH LOttER CANADA t 
This point takes its name from the Mississa- 
guis Indians, great numbers of whom are ge¬ 
nerally encamped upon it. The Mississaguis 
tribe inhabits the shores of Lake Ontario, and 
it is one of the most numerous of this part of 
the country. The men are in general very 
stout, and they are esteemed most excellent 
fishers and hunters; but less warlike, it is said, 
than any of the neighbouring nations. The}* 
are of a much darker complexion than any 
other Indians I ever met with ; some of them 
being nearly as black as negroes. They are 
extremely; dirty and slovenly in their appear¬ 
ance, and the women are still more so than 
the men ; such indeed is the odour exhaled in 
a warm day from the rancid grease and fish oil 
with which the latter daub their hair, necks, and 
faces profusely, that it is offensive in the highest 
degree to approach within some yards of them. 
On arriving at Niagara, we found great num¬ 
bers of these Indians dispersed in knots in dif¬ 
ferent parts of the town, in great concern for 
the loss of a favourite and experienced chief. 
This man, whose name was Wompakanon, had 
been killed, it appeared, by a white man, in a 
fray which happened at Toronto, near to which 
place is the principal village of the Mississa- 
guis nation. The remaining chiefs immedi¬ 
ately assembled their warriors, and marched 
down to Niagara, to make a formal complaint 
