From six to eight hundred
packs of furs used formerly to be sent from this department, now the
return seldom exceeds half that amount. The decrease in the provision has
been already mentioned.
The Northern Indians suppose that they originally sprang from a dog; and
about five years ago a superstitious fanatic so strongly impressed upon
their minds the impropriety of employing these animals, to which they
were related, for purposes of labour that they universally resolved
against using them any more and, strange as it may seem, destroyed them.
They now have to drag everything themselves on sledges. This laborious
task falls most heavily on the women; nothing can more shock the feelings
of a person accustomed to civilised life than to witness the state of
their degradation. When a party is on a march the women have to drag the
tent, the meat, and whatever the hunter possesses, whilst he only carries
his gun and medicine case. In the evening they form the encampment, cut
wood, fetch water, and prepare the supper; and then, perhaps, are not
permitted to partake of the fare until the men have finished. A
successful hunter sometimes has two or three wives; whoever happens to be
the favourite assumes authority over the others and has the management of
the tent. These men usually treat their wives unkindly and even with
harshness; except indeed when they are about to increase the family and
then they show them much indulgence.
Hearne charges the Chipewyans with the dreadful practice of abandoning,
in extremity, their aged and sick people. The only instance that came
under our personal notice was attended with some palliating
circumstances: An old woman arrived at Fort Chipewyan during our
residence with her son, a little boy about ten years old, both of whom
had been deserted by their relations and left in an encampment when much
reduced by sickness: two or three days after their departure the woman
gained a little strength and, with the assistance of the boy, was enabled
to paddle a canoe to the fishing station of this post where they were
supported for some days until they were enabled to proceed in search of
some other relations who they expected would treat them with more
kindness. I learned that the woman bore an extremely bad character,
having even been guilty of infanticide and that her companions considered
her offences merited the desertion.
This tribe since its present intimate connection with the traders has
discontinued its war excursions against the Esquimaux, but they still
speak of that nation in terms of the most inveterate hatred. We have only
conversed with four men who have been engaged in any of those
expeditions; all these confirm the statements of Black Meat respecting
the sea-coast.
