112 THE GREAT DENE RACE.

brutal slaughter, in 1771, of inoffensive Eskimos by his Déné companions
will suffice for my purpose.

Having surprised a camp of those aborigines quietly at rest in their
tents on the Coppermine River, the Dénés — Chippewayans and Yellow-
Knives — soon made a start in their bloody work.

“In a few seconds”, writes the hapless witness of the transaction, ‘‘the
horrible scene commenced; it was shocking beyond description; the poor
unhappy victims were surprised in the midst of their sleep, and had neither
time nor power to make any resistance; men, women, and children, in all
upwards of twenty, ran out of their tents stark naked, and endeavoured to
make their escape; but the Indians having possession of all the landside,
to no place could they fly for shelter. One alternative only remained, that
of jumping into the water; but, as none of them attempted it, they all fell
a sacrifice to Indian barbarity!

“The shrieks and groans of the poor expiring wretches were truly
dreadful; and my horror was much increased at seeing a young girl, seem-
ingly about eighteen years of age, killed so near me, that when the first
spear was stuck into her side she feli down at my feet, and twisted round
my legs, so that it was with difficuity that I could disengage myself from
her dying grasps. As two Indian men pursued this unfortunate victim, |
solicited very hard for her life; but the murderers made no reply till they
had stuck both their spears through her body, and transfixed her to ihe ground.
They then looked at me sternly in the face, and began to ridicule me, by
asking if ] wanted an Esquimaux wife; and paid not the smallest regard to
the shrieks and agony of the poor wretch, who was twining round their
spears like an eel! Indeed, after receiving much abusive language from them
on the occasion, I was at length obliged to desire that they would be more
expeditious in dispatching their victim out of her misery, otherwise I should
be obliged, out of pity, to assist in the friendly office of putting an end to
the existence of a fellow creature who was so cruelly wounded. On this
request being made, one of the Indians hastily drew his spear from the
place where it was first lodged, and pierced it through her breast near the
heart. The love of life, however, even in this most miserable state, was so
predominant, that though this might justly be called the most merciful act
that could be done for the poor creature, it seemed to be unwelcome, for
though much exhausted by pain and loss of blood, she made several elforts
to ward off the friendly blow”?.

Whereupon Hearne dilates on his terrible state of mind in beholding
such atrocities. Had he previously shown himself enough of a man to win
the savages’ respect, it is more than likely that he would never have been
placed in so painful a predicament. But who could have expected any show of

1 «A Journey from Prince of Wales Fort”, pp. 153—55.