take him, as he could not be far from the entrance of the North River, leading to Hudson's Bay, and if I pursued him, I should not get back in time to trade with the Indians for their great hunt. We therefore returned, after a fruitless expedition, extremely mortified at the disappointment, as I was very sensible he would never return to Canada, to make satisfaction to his employers.
[95] Soon after my return the grand band came in with all their winter's hunt, which they call Kitchee Artawway. They consisted of about thirty families, of twenty in each. He who has most wives is considered the best hunter, being obliged to provide for their maintenance by his own industry. The Indians laugh at the Europeans for having only one wife, and that for life, as they conceive the good spirit formed them to be happy, and not to continue together unless their tempers and dispositions were congenial.
Having bartered for their skins and furs, they asked for rum; I told them I had only one small keg left, which I would give them at their departure, which satisfied them: and when they were ready to embark, I ordered a Canadian to put it into the chief's canoe.
Having disposed of all my merchandise except a few articles, and a small quantity of rum, to barter with any Indians I might happen to meet with in my return to Pays Plat, we baled up our peltry, and on the 23d of May left Lac la Mort, with four small birch canoes richly laden with the skins of beavers, otters, martens, minx, loup serviers, beaver eaters, foxes, bears, &c.[1]
Before I proceed to relate the particulars of my voyage,
————
- ↑ The loup-cervier is the Canadian lynx; the beaver-eater, the wolverine (gulo luscus), or "carcajou." For a description of the latter, see Martin, Castorologia, pp. 147-151.—Ed.
