rdent
spirits. They are so passionately fond of this poison that they will make
any sacrifice to obtain it. They are good hunters and in general active.
Having laid the bow and arrow altogether aside and the use of snares,
except for rabbits and partridges, they depend entirely on the Europeans
for the means of gaining subsistence as they require guns and a constant
supply of powder and shot; so that these Indians are probably more
completely under the power of the trader than any of the other tribes. As
I only saw a few straggling parties of them during short intervals, and
under unfavourable circumstances of sickness and famine, I am unable to
give from personal observation any detail of their manners and customs;
and must refer the reader to Dr. Richardson's account of them in the
following chapter. That gentleman during his longer residence at the post
had many opportunities of seeing them and acquiring their language.

January 17.

This morning the sporting part of our society had rather a novel
diversion: intelligence having been brought that a wolf had borne away a
steel trap in which he had been caught, a party went in search of the
marauder and took two English bulldogs and a terrier which had been
brought into the country this season. On the first sight of the animal
the dogs became alarmed and stood barking at a distance, and probably
would not have ventured to advance had they not seen the wolf fall by a
shot from one of the gentlemen; they then however went up and behaved
courageously, and were enraged by the bites they received. The wolf soon
died of its wounds and the body was brought to the house where a drawing
of it was taken by Mr. Hood and the skin preserved by Dr. Richardson. Its
general features bore a strong resemblance to many of the dogs about the
fort, but it was larger and had a more ferocious aspect. Mr. Back and I
were too much occupied in preparing for our departure on the following
day to join this excursion.

The position of Cumberland House by our observations is latitude 53
degrees 56 minutes 40 seconds North; longitude 102 degrees 16 minutes 41
seconds West by the chronometers; variations 17 degrees 17 minutes 29
seconds East; dip of the needle 83 degrees 12 minutes 50 seconds. The
whole of the travelling distance between York Factory and Cumberland
House is about six hundred and ninety miles.

CHAPTER 3.

DR. RICHARDSON'S RESIDENCE AT CUMBERLAND HOUSE.
HIS ACCOUNT OF THE CREE