_Monday, 27._–The weather was now fine, and we renewed our voyage at
half past two. At seven we landed where there were three families,
situated close to the rapids. We found but few people; for as the
Indian who followed us yesterday had arrived here before us, we supposed
that the greater part had fled, on the intelligence which he gave of our
approach. Some of these people we had seen before, when they told us
that they had left their property at a lake in the neighbourhood, and
had promised to fetch it before our return; but we now found them as
unprovided as when we left them. They had plenty of fish, some of which
was packed up in birch bark.
During the time we remained with them, which was not more than two
hours, I endeavoured to obtain some additional intelligence respecting
the river which had been mentioned on the preceding day; when they
declared their total ignorance of it, but from the reports of others, as
they had never been beyond the mountains, on the opposite side of their
own river; they had, however, been informed that it was larger than that
which washed the banks whereon they lived, and that its course was
towards the mid-day sun. They added, that there were people at a small
distance up the river, who inhabited the opposite mountains, and had
lately descended from them to obtain supplies of fish. These people,
they suggested, must be well acquainted with the other river, which was
the object of my inquiry. I engaged one of them, by a bribe of some
beads, to describe the circumjacent country upon the sand. This
singular map he immediately undertook to delineate, and accordingly
traced out a very long point of land between the rivers, though without
paying the least attention to their courses, which he represented as
running into the great lake, at the extremity of which, as he had been
told by Indians of other nations, there was a Belhoullay Couin, or White
Man’s Fort. This I took to be Unalascha Fort, and consequently the
river to the West to be Cook’s River; and that the body of water or sea
into which this river discharges itself at Whale Island, communicates
with Norton Sound. I made an advantageous proposition to this man to
accompany me across the mountains to the other river, but he refused it.
At the same time he recommended me to the people already mentioned, who
were fishing in the neighbourhood, as better qualified to assist me in
the undertaking which I had proposed.
One of this small company of natives was grievously afflicted with
ulcers in his back, and the only attention which was paid to his
miserable condition, as far at least as we could discover, proceeded
from a woman, who carefully employed a bunch of feathers in preventing
the flies from settling upon his sores.
At ten this morning we landed near the lodges which had already been
mentioned to us, and I ordered my people to make preparation for passing
the remaining part of the day here, in order to obtain that familiarity
with the natives which might induce them to afford me, without reserve,
the information that I should require from them. This object, however,
was in danger of being altogether frustrated, by a misunderstanding that
had taken place between the natives and my young Indians, who had
already arrived there. Before the latter could disembark, the former
seized the canoe, and dragged it on shore, and in this act of violence
the boat was broken, from the weight of the persons in it. This insult
was on the point of being seriously revenged, when I arrived, to prevent
the consequences of such a disposition. The variation of the compass
was about twenty-nine degrees to the East.
At four in the afternoon I ordered my interpreter to harangue the
natives, assembled in council; but his long discourse obtained little
satisfactory intelligence from them. Their account of the river to the
Westward, was similar to that which he had already received: and their
description of the inhabitants of that country was still more absurd and
ridiculous. They represented them as being of a gigantic stature, and
adorned with wings; which, however, they never employed in flying. That
they fed on large birds, which they killed with the greatest ease,
though common men would be certain victims of their ferocity if they
ventured to approach them. They also described the people that
inhabited the mouth of the river as possessing the extraordinary power
of killing with their eyes, and devouring a large beaver at a single
meal. They added that canoes of very large dimensions visited that
place. They did not, however, relate these strange circumstances from
their own knowledge, but on the reports of other tribes, as they
themselves never ventured to proceed beyond the first mountains, where
they went in search of the small white buffaloes, as the inhabitants of
the other side endeavour to kill them whenever they meet. They likewise
mentioned that the sources of those streams which are tributary to both
the great rivers are separated by the mountains. It appeared to us,
however, that these people knew more about the country than they chose
to communicate, or at least reached me, as the interpreter, who had long
been tired of the voyage, might conceal such a part of their
communications as, in his opinion, would induce me to follow new routes,
or extend my excursions.
No sooner was the conference concluded, than they began to dance, which
is their favourite, and, except jumping, their only amusement. In this
pastime old and young, male and female, continued their exertions, till
their strength was exhausted. This exercise was accompanied by loud
imitations of the various noises produced by the rein-deer, the bear,
and the wolf. When they had finished their antics, I desired the
English chief to renew the former subjects; which he did without
success. I therefore assumed an angry air, expressed my suspicions that
they withheld their information, and concluded with a menace, that if
they did not give me all the satisfaction in their power, I would force
one of them along with me to-morrow, to point out the other river. On
this declaration, they all, at one and the same moment, became sick, and
answered in a very faint tone, that they knew no more than they had
already communicated, and that they should die if I took any of them
away. They began to persuade my interpreter to remain with them, as
they loved him as well as they did themselves, and that he would be
killed if he continued with me. Nor did this proposition, aided as it
was by the solicitation of his women, fail of producing a considerable
effect upon him, though he endeavoured to conceal it from me.
I now found that it would be fruitless for me to expect any accounts of
the country, or the other great river, till I got to the river of the
Bear Lake, where I expected to find some of the natives, who promised to
wait for us there. These people had actually mentioned this river to me
when we passed them, but I then paid no attention to that circumstance,
as I imagined it to be either a misunderstanding of my interpreter, or
that it was an invention which, with their other lies, might tend to
prevent me from proceeding down their river.
We were plentifully supplied with fish, as well dry as fresh, by these
people; they also gathered as many hurtle-berries as we chose, for which
we paid with the usual articles of beads, awls, knives, and tin. I
purchased a few beaver-skins of them, which, according to their
accounts, are not very numerous in this country; and that they do not
abound in moose-deer and buffaloes. They were alarmed for some of their
young men, who were killing geese higher up the river, and entreated us
to do them no harm. About sunset I was under the necessity of shooting
one of their dogs, as we could not keep those animals from our baggage.
It was in vain that I had remonstrated on this subject, so that I was
obliged to commit the act which has been just mentioned. When these
people heard the report of the pistol, and saw the dog dead, they were
seized with a very general alarm, and the women took their children on
their backs and ran into the woods. I ordered the cause of this act of
severity to be explained, with the assurance that no injury would be
offered to themselves. The woman, however, to whom the dog belonged,
was very much affected, and declared that the loss of five children,
during the preceding winter, had not affected her so much as the death
of this animal. But her grief was not of very long duration; and a few
beads, &c., soon assuaged her sorrow. But as they can without
difficulty get rid of their affliction, they can with equal ease assume
it, and feign sickness if it be necessary with the same versatility.
When we arrived this morning, we found the women in tears, from an
apprehension that we were come to take them away. To the eye of an
European they certainly were objects of disgust; but there were those
among my party who observed some hidden charms in these females which
rendered them objects of desire, and means were found, I believe, that
very soon dissipated their alarms and subdued their coyness.
On the upper part of the beach, liquorice grew in great abundance and it
was now in blossom. I pulled up some of the roots, which were large and
long; but the natives were ignorant of its qualities, and considered it
as a weed of no use or value.
