ommon
with the Dog-ribs, that they came originally from the westward, from a
level country, where there was no winter, which produced trees, and
large fruits, now unknown to them. It was inhabited also by many strange
animals, amongst which there was a small one whose visage bore a
striking resemblance to the human countenance. During their residence in
this land, their ancestors were visited by a man who healed the sick,
raised the dead, and performed many other miracles, enjoining them at
the same time to lead good lives, and not to eat of the entrails of
animals, nor to use the brains for dressing skins until after the third
day; and never to leave the skulls of deer upon the ground within the
reach of dogs and wolves, but to hang them carefully upon trees. No one
knew from whence this good man came, or whither he went. They were
driven from that land by the rising of the waters, and following the
tracks of animals on the sea-shore, they directed their course to the
northward. At length they came to a strait, which they crossed upon a
raft, but the sea has since frozen, and they have never been able to
return. These traditions are unknown to the Chipewyans.

The number of men and boys of the Strong-bow nation who are capable of
hunting, may amount to seventy.

There are some other tribes who also speak dialects of the Chipewyan,
upon the upper branches of the Riviere aux Liards, such as the
_Nohhannies_ and the _Tsillawdawhoot-dinneh_, or Brushwood Indians. They
are but little known, but the latter are supposed occasionally to visit
some of the establishments on Peace River.

Having now communicated as briefly as I could the principal facts that
came to our knowledge regarding the Indians in this quarter, I shall
resume the narrative of events at Fort Enterprise.--The month of March
proved fine. The thermometer rose once to 24 deg. above zero, and fell upon
another day 49 deg. below zero, but the mean was -11-1/2 deg..

On the 23d the last of our winter's stock of deer's meat was expended,
and we were compelled to issue a little pounded meat which we had
reserved for making pemmican for summer use. Our nets, which were set
under the ice on the 15th, produced only two or three small fish daily.
Amongst these was the round fish, a species of Coregonus, which we had
not previously seen.

On the following day two Indians came with a message from the Hook, the
chief next to Akaitcho in authority amongst the Copper In