here is less danger
in this operation than one would imagine, for the beaver allows itself
to be seized without a struggle, but sometimes inflicts severe wounds
on his captor after he is taken out of the water.

When the retreat is not inhabited, the entrance to it is barred by
sticks, and the hunter proceeds to chisel again, and continues his
operations until the beaver is either taken, or shut out from all his
haunts, in which case he is compelled to return to the house to take
breath, where he is either shot or caught in a trap.

The language of these Indians is a dialect of the Sauteux or Bungee,
intermixed with Cree, and a few words of French derivation. The
greater part of them have a smattering of French or English; but the
acquisition of a foreign language is extremely difficult to them,
from the peculiar formation of their own, which wants the letter r.
An Algonquin pronounces the word "marrow" "manno" or "mallo." Their
dialect has all the softness of the Italian, but is extremely poor and
defective.

CHAPTER XV.

EMBARK FOR THE INTERIOR--MODE OF TRAVELLING BY CANOES--LITTLE
RIVER--LAKE NIPISSING--FRENCH RIVER--OLD STATION OF INDIAN
ROBBERS--FORT MISSISSAGA--INDIANS--LIGHT CANOE-MEN--SAULT STE.
MARIE--LAKE SUPERIOR--CANOE-MEN DESERT--RE-TAKEN--FORT WILLIAM--M.
THIBAUD--LAC LA PLUIE AND RIVER--INDIANS--WHITE RIVER--NARROW
ESCAPE--CONVERSATION WITH AN INDIAN ABOUT BAPTISM.

On the 25th April, 1833, I embarked on board of a steamboat at
Lachine, and reached Hull on the 27th. Here the regular conveyance by
land carriages and steamboat ended, and the traveller in those days
was obliged to wait his passage by the canoes of shanty men, or hire a
boat or canoe for himself. I had recourse to the latter expedient, and
reached the post of the Chats, then in charge of my esteemed friend
Mr. McD----l, on the 30th. Captain Back arrived on the 1st of May,
put ashore for a few supplies and my wards, and immediately
re-embarked.

The brigade arrived on the 2d, and the guide delivered me a letter
from Mr. K----, informing me that I was to consider myself merely as
a passenger, the command of the men being entrusted to the guide by
Governor Simpson's orders. This arrangement relieved me of much
anxiety and trouble; though I would rather have preferred undergoing
any personal inconvenience to being placed under the command of an
ignorant Canadian, who might use his "brief" authority in a way very
offensive to my f