ever, merely outliers of the Kutchin, they were a less favourable example of that people than the dwellers on the Yukon that came under Mr. Murray's observation. He states that the males are of the average height of Europeans, and well-formed, with regular features, high foreheads, and lighter complexions than those of the other Red Indians.* The women resemble the men, and Mr. Murray speaks of the wife of one of the chiefs as being so handsome that, setting aside her Indian garb and tattooed face, she would have been considered a fine woman in any country. All the females have their chins tattooed, and when they paint their faces they use a black pigment. The men employ both red and black paints on all occasions of ceremony, every one applying them according to his fancy; and that they may always have them ready, each has a small bag containing red clay and black lead suspended to his neck. Most commonly the eyes

* Mr. Isbister, speaking of the Kutchin who frequent Peel's River Fort, says "They are an athletic and fine-looking race, considerably above the average stature, most of them being upwards of six feet in height, and remarkably well proportioned. They have black hair, fine sparkling eyes, moderately high cheek bones, regular and well set teeth, and a fair complexion. Their countenances are handsome and pleasing, and capable of great expression. They perforate the septum of the nose, in which they insert two shells joined together, and tipped with a coloured bead at each end"-Rep. of Brit. Ass. for 1847, p. 122.

are encircled with black; a stripe of the same hue is drawn down the middle of the nose; and a blotch is made on the upper part of each cheek. The forehead is crossed by many narrow red stripes, and the chin is streaked alternately with red and black. The Chepewyans and Crees paint their faces in a similar manner.

The outer shirt of the Kutchin is formed of the skins of fawn rein-deer, dressed with the hair on, after the manner of the Hare Indians, Dog-ribs, and other Chepewyan tribes, but in its form it resembles the shirts of the Eskimos, being furnished with peaked skirts, though of smaller size. The men wear these peaks before and behind; the women have larger back skirts but none in front. A broad band of beads is worn across the shoulders and breast of the shirt, and the hinder part of the dress is fringed with fancy beads and small leathern tassels, wound round with dyed porcupine quills, and strung with the silvery fruit of the oleaster.* The inferior garment of both sexes is a pair of deerskin pantaloons, the shoes being of the same piece, or sewed to them. A stripe of beads, two inches broad, strung in alternate red and white squares, runs from the ankle to the hip along the seam of the trowsers, and bands of beads encircle the ankles.

* Elæagnus argentea.