ne
of them, which resembled a hut ten feet by eight or nine, and four or five
feet high in the centre, floored with squared poles, the roof covered with
rinds of trees, and in every way well secured against the weather inside,
and the intrusion of wild beasts, there were two grown persons laid out at
full length, on the floor, the bodies wrapped round with deerskins. One of
these bodies appeared to have been placed here not longer ago than five or
six years. We thought there were children laid in here also. On first
opening this building, by removing the posts which formed the ends, our
curiosity was raised to the highest pitch; but what added to our surprise,
was the discovery of a white deal coffin, containing a skeleton neatly
shrouded in white muslin. After a long pause of conjecture how such a thing
existed here, the idea of _Mary March_ occurred to one of the party, and
the whole mystery was at once explained.[3]"

[3] It should be remarked here, that Mary March, so called from the
name of the month in which she was taken, was the Red Indian
female who was captured and carried away by force from this
place by an armed party of English people, nine or ten in
number, who came up here in the month of March, 1809. The local
government authorities at that time did not foresee the result
of offering a reward to _bring a Red Indian to them_. Her
husband was cruelly shot, after nobly making several attempts,
single-handed, to rescue her from the captors, in defiance of
their fire-arms, and fixed bayonets. His tribe built this
cemetery for him, on the foundation of his own wigwam, and his
body is one of those now in it. The following winter, Captain
Buchan was sent to the River Exploits, by order of the local
government of Newfoundland, to take back this woman to the lake,
where she was captured, and if possible at the same time, to
open a friendly intercourse with her tribe. But she died on
board Captain B.'s vessel, at the mouth of the river. Captain B.
however, took up her body to the lake; and not meeting with any
of her people, left it where they were afterwards likely to meet
with it. It appears the Indians were this winter encamped on the
banks of the River Exploits, and observed Captain B.'s party
passing up the river on the ice. They retired from