to save the life of a poor old woman, who had
been making sugar in my neighbourhood. I found the father and two
sons, both approaching manhood, in a complete state of nudity, dancing
round the body of their victim (to all appearance dead), their bodies
besmeared with blood, and exulting in the barbarous deed they had
committed. My interpreter informed me, that as soon as they observed
the old woman approaching the house, the Christian father told his
sons that now was the time to take revenge for the death of their
brother, whose life had been destroyed by this woman's "bad medicine."
We drove the wretches away, and carried the miserable woman into the
house; and so dreadfully bruised and mangled were her head and face,
that not the least trace of her features could be distinguished. At
the end of a month she recovered sufficiently to crawl about. Her son
passed in the spring, with an excellent hunt. When I related to him
the manner his mother had been treated by the Indians, and the care I
had taken of her, he coolly replied that he was sure they were bad
Indians. "It was very charitable of you," said he, "to have taken so
much care of the old woman. Come to my wigwam next winter, and I shall
trade with you, and treat you well." In the meantime every skin he had
went to our opponents, although he was deeply indebted to the Company.

CHAPTER VI.

TRIP TO FORT COULONGE--MR. GODIN--NATIVES.

A large canoe arrived from Montreal about the latter end of June, by
which I received orders to proceed to Fort Coulonge, situated about
eighty miles higher up the Ottawa, to relieve the person then in
charge of that post. I accordingly embarked in the same canoe,
accompanied by my young friend Mr. MacDougal, who joined me last
autumn, and who kindly volunteered to proceed along with me to my
destination. This canoe was under the charge of people hired for the
trip, and directed by the bowsman, or guide. I soon discovered that I
was considered merely as a piece of live lumber on board. My companion
and myself were reduced to the necessity of cooking our own victuals,
or of going without them. We pitched our tent as best we could, and
packed it up in the morning without the slightest offer of assistance
from the crew.

No incident worthy of notice occurred until we reached the Grand
Calumet Portage, the longest on the Ottawa River. The crew slept at
the further end of the portage, whither the canoe and part of the
cargo h