260 TRAVELS THROUGH UPPER CANADA: 
known, as do also many of the medicines with 
which they perform sometimes most miracu¬ 
lous cures. Their dyes and medicines are all 
procured from the vegetable world. 
But though the Indians prove by their per¬ 
formances, that they have some relish for the 
works of art, yet they are by no means ready 
to bestow commendations on every thing cu¬ 
rious for its workmanship that is shewn to 
them. Trinkets or ornaments for dress, though 
ever so gaudy or ever so neatly manufactured, 
they despise, unless somewhat similar in their 
kind to what they themselves are accustomed 
to wear, and fashioned exactly to their own 
taste, which has remained nearly the same 
since Europeans first came amongst them ; 
nor will they praise any curious or wonderful 
piece of mechanism, unless they can see that 
it is intended to answer some useful purpose. 
Nothing that I could shew them attracted 
their attention, I observed, so much as a light 
double-barrelled gun, which I commonly car¬ 
ried in my hand when walking about thek 
encampments. This w r as something in their 
own way; they at once perceived the benefit 
that must accrue to the sportsman from having 
two barrels on the one stock, and the contriv¬ 
ance pleased them ; well acquainted also with 
the qualities of good locks, and the advantages 
attending them, they expressed great sat is fa 
