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La Grande Riviere eh Bas — . 57

tribes, the Slaves, and the Dog-Rib Indians. We made
them smoke, and supplied them with grog. A distribution
of knives, beads, awls, rings, gartering, fire-steels, flints and
hatchets, made them more familiar than we expected, for
we could not keep them out of our tents, though I did not
observe that they attempted to purloin anything. ‘hey
informed us that it would take several winters to get to the
sea, and that old age would come upon us before the period
of our return. We were also to encounter monsters of such
horrid shapes and destructive powers as could only exist
in their wild imaginations. They added besides, that there
were two impassable falls in the river, the first of which
was about thirty days’ march from us. Though I placed no
faith in these strange relations, they had a very different
effect upon our Indians, who were already tired of the voyage.
It was their opinion and anxious wish that we should not
hesitate to return. They said that, according to the informa-
tion which they had received, there were very few animals
in the country beyond us, and that as we proceeded the scarcity
would increase, and we should absolutely perish from hunger,
if no other accident befell us.”

Finally one of the tribe was induced to accompany the
party in consideration of a small kettle, an axe, a knife, and
some other articles. And at three in the afternoon the canoe
was reloaded and the new guide, who had changed his mind,
had to be compelled to embark.

“The people are meagre, ugly, and ill-made, particularly
about the legs, which are clumsy and covered with scabs,
due probably to their habit of roasting themselves before
the fire. They are of moderate stature and are of a fairer
complexion than the generality of Indians who are the
natives of warmer climates.”

In the matter of hirsute adornments, some of the men