_The Route, from Montreal to Fort Chepewyan, pursued by a company of
traders, called the North-west Company_.
The requisite number of canoes being purchased, the goods being formed
into packages, and the lakes and rivers being free from ice, which they
usually are in the beginning of May, the persons employed by the
North-west Company set out from _La Chine_, eight miles above Montreal.
Each canoe carries eight or ten men, and a luggage consisting of
sixty-five packages of goods, about six hundred weight of biscuit, two
hundred weight of pork, and three bushels of peas, for the men's
provisions: two oil-cloths to cover the goods, a sail, and an axe, a
towing-line, a kettle, and a sponge to bail out the water; together with
a quantity of gum, bark, and watape, to repair the canoe. An European,
on seeing these slender vessels, thus laden, heaped up, and their sides
not more than six inches out of the water, would imagine it impossible
that they should perform a long and perilous voyage; but the Canadians
are so expert in the management of them, that few accidents happen.
Leaving La Chine, they proceed to _St. Ann's_, within two miles of the
western extremity of the island of Montreal. At the rapid of St. Ann,
the navigators are obliged to take out part, if not the whole of the
lading; and to replace it when they have passed the cataract. The _Lake
of the two Mountains_, which they next reach, is about twenty miles
long, but not more than three miles wide, and is, nearly surrounded by
cultivated fields.
At the end of the lake, the water contracts into the _Utawas river_;
which, after a course of fifteen miles, is interrupted by a succession
of rapids and cascades for upwards of ten miles: at the foot of these
the Canadian Seignories terminate. Here the voyagers are frequently
obliged to unload their canoes, and carry the goods upon their backs, or
rather suspended in slings from their heads. Each man's ordinary load is
two packages, though some of the men carry three. In some places, the
ground will not admit of their carrying the whole at once: in this case,
they make two trips; that is, the men leave half their lading, land it
at the distance required, and then return for that which was left. There
are three carrying places; and, near the last of them, the river is a
mile and a half wide, and has a regular current, for about sixty miles,
to the first _portage de Chaudiere_. The whole body of water is here
precipitated, twenty-five feet, down, craggy and excavated rocks, and in
a most wild and romantic manner.
Over this portage, it is requisite to carry the canoe and all its
lading; but the rock is so steep, that the canoe cannot be taken out of
the water by fewer than twelve men, and it is carried by six men.
The next remarkable object which the traders approach, is a lake called
_Nepisingui_, about twelve leagues long, and fifteen miles wide, in the
widest part. The inhabitants of the country adjacent to this lake,
consist of the remainder of a numerous tribe called _Nepisinguis_, of
the Algonquin nation.
Out of the lake flows the _Riviere de Francois_, over rocks of
considerable height. This river is very irregular, both as to its
breadth and form; and it is so interspersed with islands, that, in its
whole course, its banks are seldom visible. Of its various channels,
that which is generally followed by the canoes is obstructed by five
portages. The distance hence to Lake Huron is about twenty-five leagues.
There is scarcely a foot of soil to be seen from one end of the river to
the other; for its banks consist entirely of rock.
The coast of _Lake Huron_ is similar to this; but it is lower, and
backed, at some distance, by high lands. The canoes pass along the
northern bank of this lake, into _Lake Superior_, the largest and most
magnificent body of fresh water in the world. It is clear, of great
depth, and abounds in fish of various kinds. Sturgeon are caught here,
and trout, some of which weigh from forty to fifty pounds each. The
adjacent country is bleak, rocky, and desolate: it contains no large
animals, except a few moose and fallow deer; and the little timber that
is to be seen, is extremely stunted in its growth. The inhabitants of
the coast of Lake Superior are all of the _Algonquin nation_, who
subsist chiefly on fish. They do not, at present, exceed one hundred and
fifty families; though, a century ago, the whole adjacent country is
said to have been inhabited by them.
Near the north-western shore of Lake Superior, and beneath a hill,
three or four hundred feet in height, is a fort, containing several
houses, erected for the accommodation of the North-west Company and
their clerks. This place is called the _Grande Portage_. The traders,
who leave Montreal in the beginning of May, usually arrive here about
the middle of June. They are met by men who had spent the winter in the
establishments; towards the north, and from whom they receive the furs
which had been collected in the course of their winter traffic. Upwards
of twelve hundred men are thus assembled, every summer, in this remote
wilderness; and live together, for several days, in a comfortable and
convivial manner. After their accounts are settled, the furs are
embarked for Montreal; and the rest of the men proceed to the different
posts and establishments in the Indian country. The canoes which are
used from the Grande Portage, upwards, are but half the size of those
from Montreal. They are each navigated by four, five, or six men,
according to the distance which they have to go.
Having embarked on the river _Au Tourt_; and, having overcome numerous
obstacles, in cataracts, and other impediments to their course, the
persons proceeding on this voyage, reach a trading establishment, on the
north side of the river, in 48 degrees 37 minutes, north latitude. Here
they are met by people from the Athabasca country, and exchange lading
with them. This place also is the residence of the grand chief of the
_Algonquin Indians_; and here the elders of these Indians meet in
council, to treat of peace or war.
The Au Tourt is one of the finest rivers in the north-western parts of
America. Its banks are covered with a rich soil, and, in many parts, are
clothed with groves of oak, maple, and cedar-trees. The southern bank is
low, and displays the maple, the white birch, and cedar; with the
spruce, the alder, and various kinds of underwood. Its waters abound in
fish, particularly in sturgeons. In the low grounds, betwixt Lake
Superior and this river, are seen vast quantities of rice, which the
natives collect, in the month of August, for their winter stores.
_Lake Winipic_, which the traders next approach, is the great reservoir
of several large rivers. It is bounded, on the north, by banks of black
and grey rock; and, on the south, by a low and level country,
occasionally interrupted with ridges or banks of limestone, from twenty
to forty feet in height, bearing timber, but only of moderate growth.
From its peculiar situation, this lake seems calculated to become a
grand depot of traffic. It communicates, in a direct and short channel,
with the southern shores of Hudson's Bay, by the rivers Severn and
Nelson; and it is connected with the countries at the head of the
Mississippi and Missouri, by the Assiniboin and Red rivers. The Indians,
who inhabit its banks, are of the Knisteneaux and Algonquin tribes.
Beyond lake Winipic, the canoes have to pass along many rapids, and
through several small lakes, called _Cedar lake_, _Mud lake_, and
_Sturgeon lake_. This part of the country is frequented by beavers, and
numerous animals, valuable on account of their furs; and the plains are
inhabited by buffaloes, wolves, and foxes.
On the banks of the rivers, there are factories for the convenience of
trade with the natives; and near each of these are tents of different
nations of Indians; some of whom are hunters, and others deal in
provisions, wolf, buffalo, and fox-skins.
From the mouth of the _Saskatchiwine river_, the canoes proceed, in a
northerly direction, through _Sturgeon lake_, and _Beaver lake_. The
banks of the river are high, and clothed with cypress-trees; and the
inhabitants of the adjacent districts are chiefly Knisteneaux Indians.
This description of country, with some variation, prevails as far as the
trading establishment of Fort Chepewyan, on the south-eastern bank of
the _Lake of the Hills_.
_Fort Chepewyan_ is the residence of a considerable number of persons,
who are employed by the North-west Company. Except during a short time
in the spring and autumn, when thousands of wild-fowl frequent the
vicinity of the lake, these persons subsist almost wholly on fish. This
they eat without the variety of any farinaceous grain for bread, any
root, or vegetable; and without even salt to quicken its flavour.
Every year, in the autumn, the Indians meet the traders, at this and
other forts, where they barter such furs, or provisions, as they have
procured. They are here fitted out, by the traders, with such articles
as they may want, after which they proceed to hunt beavers; and they
return about the end of March or the beginning of April, when they are
again fitted out as before. During the summer, most of these Indians
retire to the barren grounds, and live there, with their relations and
friends.
_Account of the Knisteneaux and Chepewyan Indians_.
When, in the year 1777, the Europeans first penetrated into the
north-western regions of America, these two tribes of Indians were very
numerous; but the small-pox, introduced among them by the strangers,
proved so fatal, that, at the end of fifteen years, not more than
seventy families were left.
The _Knisteneaux_, though at present few in number, occupy a great
extent of country. They are of moderate stature, well-proportioned, and
extremely active. Their complexion is of a copper-colour, and their hair
black. In some of the tribes, the hair is cut into various forms,
according to their fancy; and, by others, it is left in the long and
lank flow of nature. These Indians, in general, pluck out their beards.
Their eyes are black, keen, and penetrating; and their countenance is
open and agreeable. Fond of decoration, they paint their bodies with
different colours of red, blue, brown, white, and black.
Their dress is, at once, simple and commodious. It consists of tight
leggings or leather-gaiters, which reach nearly to the hip; a strip of
cloth or leather, about a foot wide, and five feet long, the ends of
which are drawn inward, and hang behind and before, over a belt, tied
round the waist for that purpose; a close vest or shirt, reaching down
to the former garment, and bound at the waist by a broad strip of
parchment, fastened with thongs behind; and a cap for the head,
consisting of a piece of fur, or a small skin, with the tail of the
animal, as a suspended ornament. A kind of robe is occasionally thrown
over the whole of this dress, and serves them to wear by day, and to
sleep in at night. These articles, with the addition of shoes and
mittens, constitute their chief apparel. The materials vary, according
to the season, and consist of dressed moose-skin, beaver-skins, prepared
with the fur, or European woollens. The leather is neatly painted, and,
in some parts, is fancifully worked with porcupine-quills and moose-deer
hair. The shirts and leggings are adorned with fringe and tassels; and
the shoes and mittens have somewhat of appropriate decoration, and are
worked with a considerable degree of skill and taste. Their head-dresses
are composed of the feathers of the swan, the eagle, and other birds.
The teeth, horns, and claws of different animals, are also the
occasional ornaments of their head and neck.
The female dress is composed of materials similar to those used by the
men; but it is of a somewhat different form and arrangement. Several of
the women have the skin of their faces tatooed or marked with three
perpendicular lines: one from the centre of the chin to the under lip,
and one on each side parallel to the corner of the mouth.
The Knisteneaux women are very comely. Their figure is generally well
proportioned, and the regularity of their features would be acknowledged
even by the civilized nations of Europe.
This people are naturally mild and affable. They are just in their
dealings, not only among themselves, but with strangers. They are also
generous and hospitable; and good-natured in the extreme, except when
under the influence of spirituous liquors. Towards their children they
are indulgent to a fault. The father, however, though he assumes no
command over them, anxiously instructs them, in all the preparatory
qualifications, for war and hunting; while the mother is equally
attentive to her daughters, in teaching them every thing that is
considered necessary to their character and situation.
The Knisteneaux have frequent feasts; and, at some of these, they offer
dogs as sacrifices, and make large offerings of their property. The
scene of their most important ceremonies is usually an enclosure on the
bank of some river or lake, and in a conspicuous situation. On
particular occasions they have private sacrifices in their houses. The
ceremony of smoking precedes every affair of importance. When a feast is
proposed to be given, the chief sends quills or small pieces of wood, as
tokens of invitation, to such persons as he wishes to partake of it. At
the appointed time the guests arrive, each bringing with him a dish or
platter, and a knife; and they take their seats on each side of the
chief. The pipe is then lighted, and the chief makes an equal division
of every thing that is provided for the occasion. During the eating the
chief sings, and accompanies his song with a tambourine. The guest who
has first eaten his share of provision is considered as the most
distinguished person. At all these feasts a small quantity of meat or
drink is sacrificed, by throwing it into the fire or on the earth,
before the guests begin to eat. It is expected that each person should
devour the whole food that is allotted to him, how great soever the
quantity may be; and those who are unable to do this, endeavour to
prevail with their friends to assist them. Care is always taken that the
bones are burned, as it would be considered a profanation, if the dogs
were to touch them.
The medicinal virtues of many herbs are known to the Knisteneaux; and
they apply the roots of plants and the bark of trees in the cure of
various diseases. But there is among them a class of men, called
conjurers, who monopolize the medical science; and who, blending mystery
with their art, do not choose to communicate their knowledge.
Like all their other solemn ceremonials, the funeral rites of the
Knisteneaux begin with smoking, and are concluded by a feast. The body
is dressed in the best habiliments of the deceased, or his relatives,
and is then deposited in a grave lined with branches: some domestic
utensils are placed on it, and a kind of canopy is erected over it.
During this ceremony, great lamentations are made; and, if the deceased
is much regretted, the near relations cut off their hair, pierce the
fleshy part of their thighs and arms with arrows, knives, &c. and
blacken their faces with charcoal. The whole property belonging to him
is destroyed, and the relations take, in exchange for the wearing
apparel, any rags that will cover their nakedness.
* * * * *
The _Chepewyans_ are a sober, timorous, and vagrant people, and of a
disposition so selfish as sometimes to have excited suspicions of their
integrity. Their complexion is swarthy; their features are coarse, and
their hair is lank, but not always of a black colour; nor have they,
universally, the piercing eye, which generally animates the Indian
countenance. The women have a more agreeable aspect than the men; but,
in consequence of their being accustomed, nine months in the year, to
travel on snow-shoes, and to drag heavy sledges, their gait is awkward.
They are very submissive to their husbands, who sometimes treat them
with great cruelty. The men, in general, extract their beards; though
some of them are seen to prefer a bushy beard to a smooth chin. They cut
their hair in various forms, or leave it in a long, natural flow,
according as caprice or fancy suggests. The women always have their
hair of great length, and some of them are very attentive to its
arrangement. Both sexes have blue or black marks, or from one to four
straight lines on their cheeks or forehead, to distinguish the tribe to
which they belong. These marks are either tatooed, or are made by
drawing a thread, dipped in colour, beneath the skin.
Few people are more attentive to the comforts of dress than these. In
winter they wear the skins of deer or fawns, prepared with the hair on,
and rendered as fine and soft as chamois leather. In summer their
apparel is of similar skins, but prepared without the hair. A ruff or
tippet surrounds the neck; and the skin of the head of a deer forms a
curious kind of cap.
Plurality of wives is allowed among the Chepewyans; and the ceremony of
marriage is very simple. At a very early period, the girls are betrothed
to such persons as the parents consider best able to support them. The
desires of the women are never considered; and whenever a separation
takes place, which sometimes happens, it depends entirely on the will of
the husband.
These Indians are not remarkable for activity as hunters: this is owing
to the ease with which they snare deer, and spear fish. They are not
addicted to the use of spirituous liquors; and are, on the whole, an
extremely peaceful tribe. Their weapons and domestic apparatus, in
addition to articles procured from Europeans, are spears, bows and
arrows, fishing-nets, and lines made of deer-skin thongs. Their
amusements are but few. Their music is so inharmonious, and their
dancing so awkward, that they might be supposed to be ashamed of both,
as they seldom practise either. They shoot at marks, and play at
different games; but they prefer sleeping to any of these: and the
greatest part of their time is passed in procuring food, and resting
after the toil of obtaining it.
The notion which these people entertain of the creation of the world is
a very singular one. They believe that the globe was originally one vast
ocean, inhabited by no living creature, except an immense bird, whose
eyes were of fire, whose glances were lightning, and the clapping of
whose wings was thunder. On the descent of this bird to the ocean, and
at the instant of touching it, they say that the earth arose, and
remained on the surface of the waters. This omnipotent bird then called
forth all the variety of animals from the earth, except the Chepewyans,
who were produced from a dog; and to this circumstance they attribute
their aversion to dog's-flesh. The tradition proceeds to relate, that
the great bird, having finished his work, made an arrow, which was to be
preserved with great care, and to remain untouched; but that the
Chepewyans were so devoid of understanding, as to carry it away; and
this sacrilege so enraged the bird, that he has never since appeared.
They believe also, that, in ancient times, their ancestors lived till
their feet were worn out with walking, and their throats with eating;
and they describe a deluge, in which the waters spread over the whole
earth, except the highest mountains, on the tops of which the Chepewyans
preserved themselves.
They are superstitious in an extreme; and almost every action of their
lives, however trivial, is more or less influenced by some superstitious
notion. They believe in a good and evil spirit; and in a future state of
rewards and punishments. They assert that the souls of persons deceased
pass into another world, where they arrive at a large river, on which
they embark, in a stone canoe, and that a gentle current bears them on
to an extensive lake, in the centre of which is a beautiful island.
Within view of this island they receive that judgment for their conduct
during life, which terminates their state. If their good actions
predominate, they are landed upon the island, where there is to be no
end of their happiness. But if their bad actions prevail, the stone
canoe sinks, and leaves them up to their chins in the water, to behold
and regret the reward which is enjoyed by the good; and eternally to
struggle, but with unavailing endeavours, to reach the bliss from which
they are for ever excluded.
Twenty-fourth Day's Instruction.