them into the enclosure; where those that are entangled in the snares are speared, and those that are loose, shot with bows and arrows.

It happened one morning that I had taken a walk with the hunters in pursuit of some deer, when we perceived the track of an uncommon snow shoe. We followed it to a considerable distance, till we were led to a little hut, where a young woman was sitting alone. My companions knew enough of her language to comprehend her story: she told them that she belonged to the tribe of Dog-ribbed Indians, and had been taken prisoner by a party of their enemies; who, though they had adopted her, and treated her with kindness, could never win her affections, as she could not banish from her mind their cruelty in slaughtering her aged father and mother, with the rest of their com panions, whom they surprised in the night: therefore, she had taken the first opportunity of making her escape, with the hope of returning to her own country; but that, having been carried away in a canoe, the turnings and windings of the rivers and lakes had so bewildered her, she could not find her way, and had therefore been obliged to build this hut, as a defence against the weather. She said, that she eloped in the month when the birds begin to lay their eggs, and that she had supported herself ever since, which was several months, by snaring partridges, rabbits, and squirrels: she had also contrived to kill two or three beavers, and

some

some porcupines. Fortunately, she had been able to bring with her a few deer sinews, with which she had made her first snares; and afterwards she was obliged to substitute the sinews of the rabbits' legs she had caught, twisted together. The rabbits not only afforded her food, but a neat, warm suit of clothes, that she had made very ingeniously. It was happy for her that necessity obliged her to employ herself in solitude, or she would probably have sunk a victim to despair and melancholy. When she was not engaged in hunting for food, she amused the tedious hours with twisting the inner rind of willows into small lines, like net-twine, of which she intended to have made a fishing net.

Five or six inches of an iron hoop made into a knife, and the shank of an iron arrow head, were the only tools she had; but she was far better qualified to support herself, under such disastrous circumstances, than an European woman, because the Indians not only make their wives and daughters assist them in snaring animals, but they compel them also to perform the most laborious tasks. She was very glad to leave her retreat, and accompany us to our camp. As she had a fine figure, and, with the singularity of her dress, made a striking appearance, she drew general attention; and having given decisive proofs of her cleverness, each of the Indians wished to have her for a wife. A wrestling match took place on the occasion, as it is usual amongst the northern Indians, when two men like

the

the same woman, to decide the matter by a contest of this kind; and the poor woman, whose inclination is never consulted, is allotted to the strongest man.

The Indian who first discovered her gained the prize; and whether her preference arose from love or gratitude is difficult to determine, but she seemed perfectly contented with her husband, and highly pleased with her change of situation.

Whilst we were in the extreme high north latitudes, our appetites increased to an astonishing degree; so that we no longer felt surprise at the eagerness for food shown by the northern tribes. During the whole of our course, to the entrance of the Slave Lake, we saw tokens of Indian encampments; but on our approach, the people generally retreated with precipitation to the woods. They were mostly employed in drying fish for the winter, and were often attended with dogs. The weather varied extremely. One day we were pinched with cold; and, probably, the next, overpowered with the heat. Storms of lightning and thunder were frequent; and on one occasion we were obliged to screen ourselves from the stones hurled in the air like sand, by lying flat on the ground. For a considerable time the nights were so light, that the stars could not be perceived, éven after the sun descended below the horizon, which, during our stay amongst the islands in the most northern lake, never happened; consequently, it was perpetual day-light. Our fare was varied by fish of different

kinds, swans, geese, wild-fowl, partridges, hares, and venison, according to our situation; and we always had plenty of berries of different sorts. We crossed the Slave Lake without any material accident; though the weather was very stormy, and we were frequently obliged to land and gum our canoes.

We fell in, one evening, with a lodge of Knisteneaux Indians. Amongst them one man was very much indisposed, from a superstitious idea that his enemies had thrown medicine at him, which he was firmly persuaded would cause his death. Mr. Franklin assumed the character of physician, and professed to have an antidote that would effectually cure him. He made him a harmless mixture, that had such a good effect upon his spirits, that he perfectly recovered.

After so long a voyage, and so many fatigues, we joyfully entered the Lake of the Hills, across which we were speedily wafted by a fair wind to Chepewyan, where we found our former acquaintance in good health, and well pleased at our return. Our voyage being concluded, my journal closes, with the assurance that I ever am, most affectionately, yours,

ARTHUR MIDDLETON.

LETTER

and is the only part of the house where a grown person can stand upright. One side of it is the hearth, or fire-place; but they do not appear to make much use of it, for the wall, though close to it, did not seem to be burned. The door is in the middle of one of the ends, and opens into a covered way, so low, that we were obliged to creep on all-fours to enter this curious habitation. On the top is a hole, of about eighteen inches square, which serves for a window, an occasional door, and a chimney. The under-ground part of the floor is lined with split wood. Six or eight stumps of small trees driven into the earth, with the root upwards, on which are laid some cross pieces of timber, support the roof of the building. The whole is made of drift wood, covered with branches and dry grass, over which is laid a foot deep of earth. On each side of these houses are square holes dug in the ground, covered, except in the middle, with split wood and earth; these were supposed to be storehouses, for the winter stock of provisions. Before each hut were stumps of trees fixed in the ground, probably for the purpose of hanging their fish upon to dry.

As we advanced, trees became very scarce, except a few dwarf willows. A violent rain forced us to land again, and shelter ourselves under four houses, similar to those I have just described. The high lands adjacent were covered with short grass and flowers, whilst the valleys presented a sheet of

snow