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.
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