ccording to their custom, to spear fish at the head of Bear Lake
River, and their numbers gradually increased. They were not, however,
successful, nor diligent, preferring to beg what they could from us, and
sending their women and children to subsist on the offal of the fish
used at the fort. To encourage them to greater exertion, I provided them
with nets, and other fishing materials, but their indolence led them to
make a very ungrateful return; for on several occasions they emptied our
nets in the night, and thus not only robbed us of what they took away,
but, by deranging the nets, deprived us of the whole of that day's
supply. We never could ascertain the perpetrators of these thefts. The
blame was invariably thrown on some aged and infirm men, who denied it.
Notwithstanding the straits to which they became reduced, they could not
be persuaded to go off to a more productive fishery, until we were
compelled to withhold all supplies, from fear of starving our own party.
These Indians showed more indolence, and less regard for truth and
honesty, than any other tribes with which we had dealings. Their
sufferings are often extreme, and some of them perish every year from
famine; although, from the abundance of fish in this country, but slight
exertion would be required to lay up, at the proper seasons, a stock for
the whole year.

The difficulty of procuring nourishment frequently induces the women of
this tribe to destroy their female children. Two pregnant women of the
party then at the fort, made known their intention of acting on this
inhuman custom, though Mr. Dease threatened them with our heaviest
displeasure if they put it into execution: we learned that, after they
left us, one actually did destroy her child; the infant of the other
woman proved to be a boy. Infanticide is mentioned by Hearne as a common
crime amongst the northern Indians, but this was the first instance that
came under our notice, and I understand it is now very rare amongst the
Chipewyan tribes;--an improvement in their moral character which may be
fairly attributed to the influence of the traders resident among them.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 18th.] On the 18th a party of sixteen Hare Indians,
two Copper Indians, and a Loucheux, arrived with sledges of dried
rein-deer meat and furs. While the house was in confusion from the
unpacking of their lading, a melancholy scene took place, which excited
the warmest sympathy. The wife of one of our Dog-Rib