OF THE FUR TRADE, &c. XV To aggravate the picture, if aggravation were poflible, may be added, the putrid carcafes which the wolves, with a furious voracity, dragged forth from the huts, or which were mangled within them by the dogs, whofe hunger was fatisfied with the disfigured remains of their mafters. Nor was it uncommon for the father of a family, whom the infection had not reached, to call them around him, to reprefent the cruel fuffer- ings and horrid fate of their relations, from the influence of fome evil {pirit who was preparing to extirpate their race; and to incite them to baffle death, with all its horrors, by their own poniards. At the fame time, if their hearts failed them in this neceflary aét, he was himfelf ready to perform the deed of mercy with his own hand, as the laft aét of his affection, and inftantly to follow them to the common place of reft and refuge from human evil. It was never fatisfa€torily afcertained by what means this malignant ae | diforder was introduced, but it was generally fuppofed to be from the Maffiffoaic, by a war party. The confequence of this melancholy event to the traders muft be felfevident; the means of difpofing of their goods were cut off; and no furs were obtained, but fuch as had been gathered from the habitations of the deceafed Indians, which could not be very confiderable: nor did they look from the loffes of the prefent year, with any encouraging ex- pettations to thofe which were to come. The only fortunate people confifted of a party who had again penetrated to the Northward and Weitward in 1780, at fome diflance up the Miffinipi, or Englifh River, to