OF THE NORTH-WEST COMPANY

After ieaving the North-West Company’s Fort at the entrance of river Ouinipique, we have nearly eighteen leagues of the lake of the name to coast along before coming to the entrance of the Red River.

This river enters Lake Ouinipique at its south-east corner by three different channels ; the middle channel is the deepest and most practicable, the others are choked up by sand at their entrance into the Lake. It is lined with very tall reeds, the wood being only discernible at a distance. This middle branch is the road of all canoes, &c., that enter the river. All the branches join a league above the entrance, and, two leagues

(1) Mr. John MoDonnell was a brother of Mr. Miles McDonnell, the first governor of Lord Selkirk’s Red River Colony. “Xe became a Partner of the North-West Company about 1796, and remained in the North-West till 1815. He then sold his

share and settled at Pointe Fortune, in the township of Hawkesbury, where he kept a E store and ran boats to Montreal.

Mr. McDonnell died at Pointe Fortune, leaving several children, who all died without issue, and he was buried in the Catholic cemetery of Rigaud. Mr. W. J, McDonnell, vice consul of France in Toronto, is his rephew.

Rivière aux morts

Fort à M.

Frobisher.

The Forks,

higher, the banks—though still very lowv—begin to be covered with wood.

Three leagues from the lake, the River aux morts enters the Red River on the north side. Here a large camp of Assiniboils, Crees and Sauteux were massacred by the Sioux or Naudawesis, the most powerful nation in all the interior country. Ever since this slaughter, the river has been called with propriety, Aivicre aux mers.

Two or three leagues above Riviére aux morts is a clear Spot on which Mr. Joseph Frobisher is said to have passed a winter, and is called, Fort à M. Frobisher.

The first rapid we came to is the Sault à la Biche, about three leagues above Mr. Frobisher’s Fort and three leagues long. At low water it is a great obstacle to navigation, but at other times the men push up the canoes with setting poles.

Near the head of Sault à là Biche, the plains extend to the very brink of the river, but only in small openings of an acre and a half ; the grass and other weeds are so tall, owing to the moisture of the soil, that it is very disagreable walking. There is always plenty of water from the Sault à la Biche to the Forks, reckoned six leagues.

At the Forks, the remains of several old posts are still to be seen, some of which were built as far back as the time of the French Government. This place, as well as the Rivière aux Morts, is a favorite Indian encampment. On these plains we generally find some straggling Sauteux or Piülleurs from Lake

Rouge, who generally have provisions to barter for liquor, en |

passant.

Here we leave the Red and enter the Assiniboil River, the smaller branch of the two, which is very shoal, full of sand banks, and one of the most crooked that fancy can conceive, À man on foo!, who marches straight through the plains, in threc hours time can go as far as the canoes in a day.

vari F are tra ve Miss mile only

bois,

passe point

Ha the first buffal here

Ouini Bes aboun

with

river i

ugh in the

\ to be covered

morts enters the of Assiniboils, or Naudawesis, try. Ever since ropriety, Riviire

is a clear spot passed a winter,

jche, about three eagues long. At ut at other times

xtend to the very of an acre and a 1, owing to the walking. There che to the Forks,

bsts are still to be the time of the the Rivière aux these plains we leurs from Lake er for liquor, ci

1iboil River, the aoal, full of sand

can conceive. À e plains, in threc

Ve

The Red River, properly so called, takes its waters near the The Red

River

Mississipi, and by it the southern traders from La Prairie du route.

Chien enter the Assiniboil ; but it is a long way about and very precarious, as they are forced to come thro’ the territories of the Sioux, the most savage and barbarous nation of the Plain Indians. This road is called passer par l'aile du Corbeau, after a portage of that name.

The country all along the banks of the Red River, and a considerable distance from them on each side, is very little fre-

-ented, except by war parties, it being a warlike route between the Sauteux and their enemies the Sioux, who are ever at variance.

From the Forks of the Assiniboil and Ked rivers, the plains are quite near the banks, aud so extensive that a man may travel from here to Fort des Prairies, Rocky Mountain, Missouri, Mississippi and many other places without passing a wood a mile long. Allthe wood here, as in the rest of the plains, being only small tufts, here and there, called by the French, Æéts de bois, surrounded by the plains the same as an island is encompassed by water, and slips thai grow on the richest lands, on low points near the river and on its banks.

‘The Plaines.

Half a day’s march for the canoes higher than the Forks, is Buffalo

the passage so called from being a good fording place and the : first we meet of the “ buffalo fords.” Here we often meet the first buffalo, being generally some stragglinz bulls, and we can get here in three days from the entrance of the river into Lake Ouinipique.

Besides the buffalo, we have another resource in the fish that ia.

abound in this little river ; we take care to furnish the canoes with fishing tackling on that account, The sturgeon of this river is esteemed the best in the North-West, but they are only œaught in small drawing nets of two fathoms long, and chiefly in the spring of the year, The fish we catch with the line are:

'ord.

Posts.

Portage la Prairie.

Fort des Trembles.

Old trading

the barbue or cat-fish, poisson doré, pike, and lacaiche, a small species of white fish, well known in the St. Lawrence about Montreal, and so common here that I have seen them catch 30 or 40 per mar while smoking their pipes.

AI along the Assiniboil River may be seen the vestiges of many commercial settlements, several of which claim an ancient date. Blondishe’s Fort is the first we come to. Nextto it, Fort la Reine, according to some, but others say Fort la Reine, stood at the Portage La Prairie. Afler coming to Adhemars Fort we got to the Portage La Prairie in a day,—that is the canoe—by laïd the distance does not exceed six miles.

Portage la Prairie, so called by the Indians time out of mind, is about eight days march by water from the mouth of the river, Across this portage, which is about twelve miles over, the Fort Dauphin goods used to be carried under the French commandants to Lake Manitou-Ban and from thence to River Dauphine.

Atthis place, Mr. William McKay, on behal£ of the North. West Company, passed the winter of 1794-1795 and had Mr, Réaume, Dejadon, for Laviolette and Mr. Linkwater for the Hon. H. B. Company to cope with, and against a superior quan. tity of merchandise he still made good returns.

Three leagues above Portage La-Prairie stood Le Fort des Trembles, or Poplar Fort. In the year 1780 or 1781, the Indians made an attempt to pillage the traders, Messrs. Bruce and Boyer, and, in the scuflle that ensued, two Frenchmen and seven [ndians were killed upon the spot. Owing to this affair, the traders were obliged, for fear of being cut off, to reembark their canoes and return to winter at the Forks. The small pox seizing the Natives and sweeping off three fourths of them, compelled them to lay aside their intention of cutting off all the white men in the interior country.

Above Fort des Trembles is a wood, called La Grande Tremblière, which stretches a considerable distance into the plains, so that

aiche, a small sawrence about them catch 30

\ the vestiges of hich claim an ne to. Nexttoit, ay Fort la Reine, g to Adhemars ay,—that is the miles. | me out of mind, juth of the river.

es over, the Fort nch commandants * Dauphine.

L£ of the North.

95 and had Mr.

nkwater for the a superior quan

ood Le Fort des 1781, the [ndians Bruce and Boyer, and seveu Indians the traders were their canoes and izing the Natives

bled them to lay |

hite men in the

rande Tremblière, e plains, s0 that

the common road is through the center of it This wood is about three leagues long but may be avoided by stricking out

through the plains at Portage La Prairie. Above the Grande The soil.

Tremblière, the soil changes suddenly ; the lower parts, from the River aux Morts to the extremity of the Grande Tremblière, being generally a good soil, susceptible of culture and capable of bearing rich crops, whereas, above it, the soil has attained such » mixture of yellow sand, that it is, in some places, covered with grass which seldom exceeds ankle height and covering the ground but very sparingly.

The Pine Fort, the lowest post the North- West Company had pine Fort.

in the Assiniboil River, we were obliged to abandonin the year 1794, as the Honorable Hudson Bay Company and other new comers had settled the year before at River La Souris, about seven leagues by land higher upthe river, and three days travel. ling for the craft by water, the posts being too near, as we had placed ourselves alongside of the others at the above mentioned new station.

Itis sometimes commanded to the summer men to meet the canoes at any place above the Grande Tremblière with provision and on horseback, and, if such a step be necessary, an express is hurried off over'and from any place above the Forks to give them warning. The Bourgeois go always up by land from the place they first meet the horses, and generally from the Rivière du Milieu, horses or not. The river du Milieu is ten leagues below Pine Fort.

The face of the country from the Grande Tremblière to he The Counwestermost end of the Montagne du Diable is very poor and‘?

barren, and the soil mostly yellow sand, all broken into little hillocks, separated from one another by as many little glens, but at the Montagne du Diable, which commences at the Pine Fort and continues nearly two leagues to the westward, the

Le s

ms

— on Ton CCE

The trade.

The Mandans.

country beconies one great plain to the head of the Assiniboil River and even to Fort George and the Rocky Mountain.

The Indians who trade at the River La Souris are a mixture of all nations in the Assiniboil River, though the Krees are the most numerous. The others are : the roving Sauteux, who are some times here, some times at Fort Dauphin, some times at Lac du Manitou-Ban and other places, wherever fancy leads them, and Assiniboils, the same as at Fort des Prairies, but much more indolent than those who are to be met within the River du Pas {1},

From River La Souris, the trade with the Mandans and Gros Ventres, inhabiting both sides of the Missouri, has been carried on since Pine Fort was abandoned. ‘This trade was carried on by the men taking npon credit a certain number of skins, as suited their circumstances, atthe price of the post and paying at their return. Many ofthe Company’s servants deserting from the Mandan country with an intention of going to the Illinois and other places on the Mississipi, the trade has since been entirely neglected.

The distance of the Mandan village, upon the Missouri, from our factory at River La Souris ïs ten or twelve days’ marchin

winter, and suppused to be one hundred leagues due south of this place. In going to the Mandan country, the people are sometimes obliged to sleep without any wood, and, in such cases, experience has taught them to make fires of buffalo dung dried in the sun—after the Indian manner—of which there is always plenty to be had, which shows the vast numbers of those animals that frequent the plains. There is so little snow at the Missouri that the Natives run dowu the buffalos on horseback the whole winter through.

These [ndians live in settled villages, fortified with palisades, which they seldom ev r abandon, and they are the best hus-

QG) North Saskatchewan.

full Bari la Sd sand Ne begi ofth abovl whi wind by ti Th of the

the Assiniboil fountain.

are a mixlure e Krees are the ruteux, Who are n, some times at ncy leads them, but much more River du Pas(l\, ndans and Gros has been carried was carried on 1ber of skins, as ost and paying at eserting from the o the Illinois and ce been entirely

he Missouri, from e days march in es due south of y, the people are d, and, in such fires of buffalo anner—ot which the vast numbers lhere is so little u the buffalos on

4 with palisades, re the best hus-

pandmen in the whole North-West. They raise indian corn or maize, beans, pumpkins, squashes in considerable quantity, not only sufficient to supply their own wants, with the help of the buffalo, but also to sell and give away to all strangers that enter their villages. They are the mildest and most honest Indians upon the whole continent and, withal, very fond of the white people.

They report that the Missouri, from their settlements to the re Mis-

Rocky Mountain, is not obstructed with a single waterfall ; and French travellers from the Illinois and Pincourt affirm that it is one continued series of smooth current tillits junction with the Mississipi, near the latter place. The Missouri Indians say its only fall is down the eastern side of the ridge of hills, called the Rocky Mountain, which they describe as very high, so much 50, that they cross the river under the sheet of water without its coming near them. They suppose it takes its waters near the summit of the Rocky Mountain. The Mandan village, on the Missouri, by Mr. Evans Chart, is 460 leagues distant from the Illinois.

But, to return to the Assiniboil River ; it is very shallow and mhe Assi-

full of rapids for a day and a half's voyage for the canoes to the Barrière, about five leagues over land from the posts at River la Souris, but after that, they go on well till they come to the sand banks beyond Mountain La Bosse.

Near a league above the Barrière, on each side of the river, begins a ridge of hills about the distance of a mile; the summit of these ridges is only level with the rest of the plain country above, forming a deep vale between them, at the bottom of which runs the Assiniboil River, which keeps a continual winding course from one side to the other of the hills, called by the French, Grandes Côtes.

Those who go up by land, owing to the continual windings of the river, have plenty of time to hunt buffalo, moose deer,

caberie (?) and fowls of all kinds which abound in this Country, al and at the same time keep up with the canoes. The country js th so plentiful that the canoes have always either fresh meat or pr fowls for their kettles. pr

The country here is, as below, one large plain, interspersed | with small islands of wood here and there, but the low points dis of land near the water are frequemtly shaded with groves of tak venerable oaks and elms. The soil of the plains is a mixture of of t sand, clay, gravel and stones in many places, but the glen app wherein the river runs is a mixture of clay and black mould, R

The Mountain à la Bosse, the nearest post to the North-Wesi it a Company's settlement at River La Souris, and distant from itsix the days voyage forthe canoes and two days for the foot men bea: through the plains, has been frequently established and as often been abandoned, owing to the oppositions that come into that quarter, Assi as these gentlemen, when by themselveë, establish as few posts chan as they conveniently can, in order to save property. On the days

contrary, when incommoded by new comers, they subdivide betyw and divert the trade into as many little channels as they have wher men and clerks to occupy, well knowing that their opponents, who have but few goods generally, cannot oppose them atevery place.

This post turned out about sixty packs, at an average, for the North-West Company, exclusive of opposition trade, but the Trem returns from it are mostly wolves and buffalo robes. since

Fort Espé- Six days’ march from Montagne à la Bosse, the River qui appelle A

ct (1) enters the Assiniboil River, and on it, about two short days and s march in canoes further up, is Fort Espérance which has been and L settled these ten years past and was chiefly Mr. Robert Granls s0rr0 residence while he superintended the Red River affair and has

in t from the

We sa

arro mixlu

A C{ the pli

(1) In olden times, the shores of this river were haunted by a spirit, whose voice, resembling that of a human beïng, was often heard wailing during the night. $0 said the Natives, and the Voyageurs called it Rivière qui Appelle.

in this country, The country is fresh meat or

in, interspersed the low points with groves of s is a mixture of 8, but the glen | black mould.

the North-Wes istant from it six or the foot men shed and as often into that quarter, lish as few posts roperty. On the s, they subdivide ls as they have their oppouents, ose them atevery

average, for the on trade, but the robes.

e River qui appelle it two short days e which has been r. Robert Grants ver affair and has

a spirit, whose voice, g during the night. $0 elle.

always been inhabited, summer and winter, ever since. It is at this post and Montagne à la Bosse that most of the Red River provisions have been procured, being, both, Assiniboil posts ; provisions are their chief returns.

River la Coquille is Lhe nearest post to the River qui appelle and distant from it about a day's march overland, tho’ in the fall it takes the canoes four days by water; a trifling post as most of the {ndians about it go to the River Tremblante and River qui appelle ; those that trade chiefly at this post are Saulteux.

River Tremblante is next to River La Coquille and distant from pivière

ita little further than it is from Rivière qui appelle. This, and the temporary posts established above it, furnish most of the beaver and otter in the Red River returns, but this trade has been almost ruined since the Hudson Bay Company entered the Assiniboil River by the way of Swan River, carrying their merchandise from one river to the other on horseback,—three days journey,—who by that means and the short distance between Swan River and their factory at York Fort, from whence they are equiped, can arrive at the Coude de l’homme, in the Assiniboil River, a month sooner than we can return from the Grand Portage, secure the fall trade, give credits to the Indians and send them to hunt before our arrival ; so that we see but very few in that quarter upon our arrival. River Tremblante has been Mr. Cuthbert Granvs favorite residence since he came to Red River.

Amongst the Sauteux in the Assiniboil River the same customs me and superstitions prevail as in their native places, Lake La Pluie Sruteux. and Lac Rouge. When a relation or a friend dies, to testify their Funeral.

sorrow, they pierce their arms and thighs in divers places with arrows, and in their mournings daub their faces over with a mixture of earth and coal, and frequently cut off their hair.

À corpse is seldom taken out at the door of their lodge, but the place opposite to the deceased’s head israised up in order to

Fort.

RE

RTS ec

ds Creme

make a passage for it, The bodyis gathered up with its knees ju: in the beily to make it as short as pessible, and every thing, ab he used about his person, is interred with him, viz: his arms, accoutrements, provisions for his journey, tobacco to smoke, à in dish and a wooden spoon, shoes and his best clothing upon his wh back. Their favorite manner of disposing of their dead is upon dif scatfolds raised a man's height above the ground, tho’ they #è 1 sometimes inter them in the ground. lan Medecines After the funeral succeeds the funeral feast, which is eaten oft sitting around the grave or scaffold, of which he is supposed to Lal partake as well as of the Calumet, of whieh the stem end is La! pointed towards him that he may smoke. A lock of his hair, the cut off before the interment, is carefully wrapped up and carried Riv about with them for the space of twelve months, wrapped in a oi and

piece of the best cloth to be had and garnished with porcupine quills &c., &c., after their fancy.

Almost every great man or chief among the Indiansis a juggler or doctor of physic,—their medecines being simples they collect themselves—and when one teaches to another the vitue of an herb he knew not, there is scarce any bound to his liberality in repaying his instructor ; but since traders frequent

shir COVE these posts several Indians make use of European medecines. il ike tot peri

«nn Every juggler pretends to have a familiar spirit who payshim The ‘‘ jon JUS P P Pa} gierie ”.

frequent visits when his attendance is required and, in emergencies, directs by his answers, which are generally as dark and am- Mag biguous as those of the ancient oracles among the heathen, and which may be interpreteä in many different ways. This spirit | never appears but in the jonglerie, a small circular appartment raised a man's height, inclosed with raw hides and bound with thongs. Into this place the juggler is trust, sometimes tied neck and heels, and a few minutes after, the Tabou and Chichiquoi

begin beating and he kicks the cords that bound him out of the

such they evil

therd

him Th sacri

> with its knees nd every thing, viz: his arms, cco to smoke, a othing upon his eir dead is upon und, tho’ they

, which is eaten 1e is supposed to | the stem end is ock of his hair, d up and carried hs, wrapped in a | with porcupine

the Indiansis a es being simples ès to another the any bound to his à traders frequent ean medecines.

irit who pays him and, in emergenly as dark and amthe heathen, and

ways. This spirit |

écular appartment s and bound with metimes tied neck bu and Chichiquoi ind him out of the

juggling place, though no person is seen within. The jonglerie is about three feet in diameter.

All the answers he gets from his familiar are during his stay in the juggling house. Most Indians put an implicit belief on whatthe person in the Jjonglerie says, for he speaks in two different voices to deceive his hearers.

The Crees were formerly a great and numerous nation. Their The Crees. language is spoken still by their descendants, which is a dialect of the Chippeway or Saulteux. They extended formerly from Lake Ouinipique—by some called Cristineau r: Killistinoe Lake—as far north as Athabasca and a considerable way into the plains, by the River du Pas, Assiniboil River and Swan River, covering several hundred leagues territory. But, owing to their wars with their neighbours, the small pox of 1780-81 and other misfortunes, the third of the nation does not now remain.

Silver works and wampum are of no value in trading with them, and they never wear any of these articles as ornaments. They dress generally after the Assiniboil manner, all in leather shirts and leggings, a buffalo robe or a blanket, by way of covering, over the whole,

When an Indian swears, he takes the Master of Life to witness, he Master likewise the Earth, the Fire and the Water. They seldom pray ‘! Life to the Master of Life but when they are in imminent danger of perishing. At all other times, their petitions are to Gog and Magog. or the evil spirit, whom they much dread, for they have such a sublime idea of the Bounty of the Master of Life that they think itincompatible with him to afflictthem. But the evil spirit, they say, is always meditating mischief to them and therefore they sacrifice to him to appease his anger and to divert him from his evil purposes. |

Their only bloody sacrifice is to hang a dog; all the other sacrifices they use consist of European merchandises, country

eme pnnipe aient rage À mue -ecrrrer is

shine tan ir or - à

produce, such as their own hunt, &c., which they chiefly deposit upon scaffolds raised a certain height above the earth s0 as to be out of the reach of wild beasts.

Marriages. The [ndians of the Red or Assiniboil rivers, in general, have no ceremonies in their marriages, or union of sexes. A young man who has taken a wife for the first time is under great difficulties ; out of modesty, bashfulness or custom, he appears but seldom in his father-in-law’s tent or lodge in the day time, They always come to sleep with the bride after night fall and retire at day break.

They hunt the whole day to the emolument of their father. in-law, and in this servile condition they are obliged to remain the space of a year, and sometimes longer if the bride does not bring forth a son or a daughter to deliver the young Indian from slavery. After that has taken place, he is at liberty to choose a home for himself, though he still remains in a manner tributary to his father-in-law, and generally makes him some present, according to his abilities, as often as they meet or see each other.

Thus. daughters are as much esteemed as sons by the [ndians, and, indeed, they bring them much greater emoluments, for a young man, as soon as he becomes husband, forsakes his father’s tent to which he seldom returns as an inmate,-for women, in general, have a great ascendency over their husbands and they always prefer living amongst those with whom they have been accustomed from their childhood,—tho’ sons are much esteemed by them to make hunters and warriors, the two

JONH M'DONNELL

great objects of all Indians.

The Assini- The Assiniboils are numerous in the Red River, and are Poinel= Givided into many tribes or families such as, Les gens des canots, or the Canoe tribe; Les gens des filles, the Girls tribe; Les gens du bois fort, or the Wood tribe, &c., &c., all speaking the same language with the Sioux or Naudawessi, and originally a tribe

dians.

of

dre

the

tim rob for of cha mac ther the is el leav A knee pain hanç meel coil au the 2 T mak(

form of bu Indie throt powe

Th more chief the bring

\ they chiefly ove the earth,

general, have exes. À young is under great om, he appears n the day time.

night fall and

, of their father.

liged to remain e bride does not 1e young Indian is at liberty to ins in à manner iakes him some they meet or see

s by the Indians, oluments, for a d, forsakes his an inmate,—for tr their husbands ith whom they .—tho’ sons are arriors, the two

River, and are s gens des canots, tribe; Les gens peaking the same riginally a tribe

of that numerous nation. Their dress consists of a buffalo dressed skin, which they wear as the Saulleux or Augébois do the blanket. Under this robe they wear a leather shirt, sometimes with the hair on, but dressed in the same manner as their robes. Their leggings are also made of dressed leather, those {or the young folks are made of wolf, caberie and other skins of a fine quality, which they dress as white and pliable as chamois. Their shoes, as well as those of the Crees, are always made of buffalo ieather the hair turned inwards which serves them as socks. Their caps are of fox and fishers’ skins, with the head and tail of the beast tied so that the head of the wearer isencompassed by it ; the tail han,;s down between the shoulders, leaving the top or crown of the head without any covering.

As for their hair, they allow it to grow till it reaches their knees, that is, on one side of the head, and they take as much pains to keep it short on the other side. Lest this lock, which hangs down on one side over their shoulder, should happen to meet any violence when they intend to become intoxicated, they coil it like a cable on the top of their head, which gives them an uncouth aspect. This ridiculous custom is not peculiar to the Assiniboils, the Crees follow it also.

These people generally winter together in large camps and, make what the French call, pares, an enclosure of wood in form of a fence and circular into which they drive whole herds of buffalos. This seems to be an ancient custom amongst all Indians inhabiting the plains, being a method that all travellers through these parts speak of, and which they want neither powder nor ball to execute.

The night previous to their sending for the buffalos, two or more young men mak® themselve ready—by a harangue the chief makes, for Indians know no command—to go and feteh the buffalos Two, and sometimes even one, is sufficient to bring them to the ranks where tufts of bushes and other obstacles

Dress.

Buffalo

parcs.

are stuck up in the snow or ground to hide a person behind it from the buffaloes, and thus every man, women and child in the camp have their stations.

À good runner frequently goes before the band with the hair of his robe outwards and half bent, so as to represent a buffalo and, by that means, decoys them into the park which has à small door to make him a passage out,

After the band is entered, the women stand upon the door which has an easy ascent upon the outside, but is quite steep within, and the paramount of the camp lights a pipe and offers the end to the buffaloes or to some old bull among them whom he takes for the father or chief of the band and, after thanking the Master of Life for sending food to themselves and to their children, he harangues him something to this effect : “My ‘ Grandfather, we are glad to see you, and happy to find that ‘“ vou are not come in a shameful manner, for you have brought ‘“ plenty of your young men with you. Be not angry at us: ‘we are obliged to destroy you to make ourselves live ”.

After the harangue is over, they smoke their pipes, sitting around the Parc, and then shoot all the herd down with their arrows ; fire arms are prohibited upon this occasion. The slaughter being finished, the Chief of the Park distributes a little swansdown, coloured in vermillon, upon each buffalo’s héad, and leaves every person at liberty to take what he thinks proper. But, so superstitious are these people, that the chief of the park thinks that if he were to eat any of this meat thus killed, it would be out of his power to make buffaloes enter his park ever after ; so he must have meat killed in the open field for his own

use.

manner as the Crees and Saulteux do, by piercing their thighs

They testify their sorrow for their deceased much in the same

and arms with arrows, cutting their hair and covering their

hea scar T!

the :

time therr alter all t} lines, Th and India Their robes take a rusLy i amon£ well a Mos of the and Si own cd months return

they m to shif

rson behind it n and child in

| with the hair esent a buffalo ach has à small

upon the door at is quite steep pipe and offers mg them whom , after thanking ves and to their is effect: “My appy to find that ou have brought ot angry atus; ves live ?.

eir pipes, sitting down with their occasion. The jistributes a little h buffalo's hèad, he thinks proper.

chief of the park at thus killed, it ter his park ever field for his own

uch in the same cing their thighs

à covering their

heads with patches of earth ; their women cut their hair and scarify their legs.

the women of both nations dance by moving, all atthe same time, from right to left and then back again, without giving themselves any other motion than shifting their toes and heels alternately and without breaking their order in the least, having all their faces the same way, and being drawn up in one or two lines, according to their number or as the ground permits.

and perfidious set, and, I believe, the worst hunters of any Indians in the North-West who have traders amongst them. Their whole hunt consists of wolves, foxes, kitts and buffalo robes ; for beavers, otters and other good furs, they seldom take any. They are likewise great thieves and will steal from a D 'rusty iron nail to a horse. Stealing horsesis quite a necessary trade among them, and they steal them from their own traders as well as from the Indians of the Missouri and of Fort des Prairies.

of the canoes at the Grand Portage upon the Rocky Mountain and Snake Indiäns or any of the nations at a distance from their own country. In these excursions they take forty days or two months, sometimes travelling night and day, especially on their return, if they have been successful, for fear of a pursuit; and they mostly return by different routes, leaving the wounded to shift for themselves.

The men, as well as those of the Crees, have no dancing, but Dances.

The Assiniboils of the Red River ar, in general, a lazy,indolent Character.

Most of the Red River Indians go to war during the absence War.

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