It is the most northern establishment of the
North-West Company, and some small pieces of Russian copper coin once
made their way thither across the continent from the westward. Blue or
white beads are almost the only articles of European manufacture coveted
by the Loucheux. They perforate the septum of the nose and insert in the
opening three small shells which they procure at a high price from the
Esquimaux.
On the west bank of Mackenzie's River there are several tribes who speak
dialects of the Chipewyan language that have not hitherto been mentioned.
The first met with on tracing the river to the southward from Fort
Good-Hope are the Ambawtawhootdinneh, or Sheep Indians. They inhabit the
Rocky Mountains near the sources of the Dawhootdinneh River which flows
into Mackenzie's and are but little known to the traders. Some of them
have visited Fort Good-Hope. A report of their being cannibals may have
originated in an imperfect knowledge of them.
Some distance to the southward of this people are the Rocky Mountain
Indians, a small tribe which musters about forty men and boys capable of
pursuing the chase. They differ but little from the next we are about to
mention, the Edchawtawhootdinneh, Strong-bow, Beaver, or Thickwood
Indians who frequent the Riviere aux Liards or south branch of
Mackenzie's River. The Strong-bows resemble the Dog-Ribs somewhat in
their disposition; but when they meet they assume a considerable degree
of superiority over the latter who meekly submit to the haughtiness of
their neighbours. Until the year 1813 when a small party of them, from
some unfortunate provocation, destroyed Fort Nelson on the Riviere aux
Liards and murdered its inmates, the Strong-bows were considered to be a
friendly and quiet tribe and esteemed as excellent hunters. They take
their names in the first instance from their dogs. A young man is the
father of a certain dog but when he is married and has a son he styles
himself the father of the boy. The women have a habit of reproving the
dogs very tenderly when they observe them fighting: "Are you not
ashamed," say they, "are you not ashamed to quarrel with your little
brother?" The dogs appear to understand the reproof and sneak off.
The Strong-bows and Rocky Mountain Indians have a tradition in common
with the Dog-Ribs that they came originally from the westward, from a
level country where there was no winter, which produced trees and large
fruits now unknown to them. It was inhabited also by many strange
animals, amongst which there was a small one whose visage bore a striking
resemblance to the human countenance. During their residence in this land
their ancestors were visited by a man who healed the sick, raised the
dead, and performed many other miracles, enjoining them at the same time
to lead good lives and not to eat of the entrails of animals, nor to use
the brains for dressing skins until after the third day; and never to
leave the skulls of deer upon the ground within the reach of dogs and
wolves but to hang them carefully upon trees. No one knew from whence
this good man came or whither he went. They were driven from that land by
the rising of the waters and, following the tracks of animals on the
seashore, they directed their course to the northward. At length they
came to a strait which they crossed upon a raft but the sea has since
frozen and they have never been able to return. These traditions are
unknown to the Chipewyans.
The number of men and boys of the Strong-bow nation who are capable of
hunting may amount to seventy.
There are some other tribes who also speak dialects of the Chipewyan upon
the upper branches of the Riviere aux Liards such as the Nohhannies and
the Tsillawdawhootdinneh or Brushwood Indians. They are but little known
but the latter are supposed occasionally to visit some of the
establishments on Peace River.
Having now communicated as briefly as I could the principal facts that
came to our knowledge regarding the Indians in this quarter I shall
resume the narrative of events at Fort Enterprise. The month of March
proved fine. The thermometer rose once to 24 degrees above zero and fell
upon another day 49 degrees below zero but the mean was minus 11 1/2
degrees.
On the 23rd the last of our winter's stock of deer's meat was expended
and we were compelled to issue a little pounded meat which we had
reserved for making pemmican for summer use. Our nets which were set
under the ice on the 15th produced only two or three small fish daily.
Amongst these was the round-fish, a species of Coregonus which we had not
previously seen.
On the following day two Indians came with a message from the Hook, the
chief next to Akaitcho in authority amongst the Copper Indians. His band
was between West Marten and Great Bear Lakes and he offered to provide a
quantity of dried meat for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine River in
the beginning of summer, provided we sent him goods and ammunition. It
was in his power to do this without inconvenience as he generally spends
the summer months on the banks of the river near the Copper Mountain; but
we had no goods to spare and I could not venture to send any part of our
small stock of ammunition until I saw what the necessities of our own
party required. I told them however that I would gladly receive either
provisions or leather when we met and would pay for them by notes on the
North-West Company's post; but to prevent any misunderstanding with Mr.
Weeks I requested them to take their winter's collection of furs to Fort
Providence before they went to the Copper-Mine River.
