of these men came over and
stole a woman from their tribe, whom they carried to this distant
country and kept in a state of slavery. She was very unhappy in her
situation, and effected her escape after many years residence among
them. The forlorn creature wandered about, for some days, in a state of
uncertainty what direction to take, when she chanced to fall upon a
beaten path, which she followed and was led to the sea. At the sight of
the ocean her hope of being able to return to her native country
vanished, and she sat herself down in despair, and wept. A wolf now
advanced to caress her, and having licked the tears from her eyes,
walked into the water, and she perceived with joy that it did not reach
up to the body of the animal; emboldened by this appearance, she
instantly arose, provided two sticks to support herself, and determined
on following the wolf. The first and second nights she proceeded on,
without finding any increase in the depth of the water, and when
fatigued, rested herself on the sticks, whose upper ends she fastened
together for the purpose. She was alarmed on the third morning, by
arriving at a deeper part, but resolved on going forward at any risk,
rather than return; and her daring perseverance was crowned with
success, by her attaining her native shore on the fifth day. She
fortunately came to a part where there was a beaten path, which she knew
to be the track made by the rein-deer in their migrations. Here she
halted and prepared some sort of weapon for killing them; as soon as
this was completed, she had the gratification to behold several herds
advancing along the road, and had the happiness of killing a sufficient
number for her winter's subsistence, which she determined to pass at
that place, and therefore formed a house for herself, after the manner
she had learned from the Esquimaux. When spring came, and she emerged
from her subterraneous dwelling, (for such the Chipewyans suppose it to
have been,) she was astonished by observing a glittering appearance on a
distant hill, which she knew was not produced by the reflection of the
sun, and being at a loss to assign any other cause for it she resolved
on going up to the shining object, and then found the hill was entirely
composed of copper. She broke off several pieces, and finding it yielded
so readily to her beating, it occurred to her that this metal would be
very serviceable to her countrymen, if she could find them again. While
she w