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Page 12
[1] The hut used by the lumbermen, and the root of the
well-known "shanty."
The mode of constructing a winter encampment is simply this:--you
measure with your eye the extent of ground you require for your
purpose, then taking off your snow-shoes, use them as shovels to clear
away the snow. This operation over, the finer branches of the balsam
tree are laid upon the ground to a certain depth; then logs of dry
wood are placed at right angles to the feet at a proper distance, and
ignited by means of the "fire-works" alluded to. In such an encampment
as this, after a plentiful supper of half-cooked peas and Indian
corn--the inland travelling fare of the Montreal department--and a
day's hard walking, one enjoys a repose to which the voluptuary
reclining on his bed of down is a perfect stranger.
We reached our destination on the following day about noon, where we
found but little to recompense us for our journey. Both our own people
from the outpost and our opponents had already traded all the furs the
Indian had to dispose of, although his supplies at the Lake of Two
Mountains and at my post amounted to a sum that would have required
his utmost exertions to pay. We remained that night at his lodge, and
very early on the succeeding morning, started on our return. With the
exception of a couple of trips I made to the inland posts, nothing
disturbed the monotony of my avocations during the remaining part of
the winter. Petty traders swarmed all over the country; the posts
which were established in the interior to cope with them traded freely
with the natives, in order to secure their furs from competitors. Thus
the immense sacrifices which the Company had made to obtain a
monopoly, as they imagined, yielded them no advantage whatever; and
repeated defalcations on the part of the natives, induced them to
curtail their advances at their principal station. The natives,
however, found no difficulty in procuring their requisites in exchange
for their furs, either from the posts belonging to the Company in the
interior, or from the opposition; for they were, with few exceptions,
of the same character as the individual already alluded to.
The Indian whom I mentioned as residing in the neighbourhood of the
establishment arrived, late in autumn, from the Lake, where he could
not obtain a charge of ammunition on credit. I supplied all his wants
liberally, knowing him to be a good hunter, though a notorious rogue;
and he set out for his hunting grounds, to all appearance well
pleased.
In the course of the winter a Yankee adventurer opened a "grog shop,"
within a short distance of the dep�t, who appeared to have no
objection to a beaver's skin in exchange for his commodities. My
Indian debtor returned in the month of March, with a tolerable "hunt,"
and pitched his tent midway between the post and my Yankee neighbour.
I called upon the Indian immediately for payment, which he told me I
should receive on the morrow. I went accordingly at the time
appointed, and was annoyed to find that he had already disposed of a
part of his furs for the Yankee's whiskey; and I therefore demanded
payment in a tone of voice which clearly indicated that I was in
earnest. To-morrow was mentioned again; but having come with the
determination of being satisfied on the spot, I seized, without
further ceremony, what furs remained, and throwing them out of the
wigwam to my man, who was placed there to receive them, I remained
within, to bear the brunt of the Indian's resentment, should he show
any, until my man had secured the prize. I was well prepared to defend
myself, in case of any violence being offered. Nothing of the kind was
attempted, however; and I took my leave, after sustaining a volley of
abuse, which did me no harm. The Indian paid me a visit next morning,
for the purpose of settling accounts, a small balance being due to
him, which, at his own request, was paid in rum. I soon after received
another visit, for nectar, on credit; this request I granted.
The visits, however, were repeated so often for the same purpose, that
I at length found it advisable to give a denial, by proxy, not wishing
to part on bad terms with him, if possible, on account of the spring
hunt. I absented myself from the house, having instructed my
interpreter how to act. I took my station in a small grove of pines,
close by, watching for the appointed signal to apprise me of the
departure of the Indian. My attention was suddenly arrested by most
doleful cries at the house; and presently the voice of my interpreter
was heard, calling me loudly by name. I ran at the top of my speed,
and arrived just in time to save the life of a poor old woman, who had
been making sugar in my neighbourhood. I found the father and two
sons, both approaching manhood, in a complete state of nudity, dancing
round the body of their victim (to all appearance dead), their bodies
besmeared with blood, and exulting in the barbarous deed they had
committed. My interpreter informed me, that as soon as they observed
the old woman approaching the house, the Christian father told his
sons that now was the time to take revenge for the death of their
brother, whose life had been destroyed by this woman's "bad medicine."
We drove the wretches away, and carried the miserable woman into the
house; and so dreadfully bruised and mangled were her head and face,
that not the least trace of her features could be distinguished. At
the end of a month she recovered sufficiently to crawl about. Her son
passed in the spring, with an excellent hunt. When I related to him
the manner his mother had been treated by the Indians, and the care I
had taken of her, he coolly replied that he was sure they were bad
Indians. "It was very charitable of you," said he, "to have taken so
much care of the old woman. Come to my wigwam next winter, and I shall
trade with you, and treat you well." In the meantime every skin he had
went to our opponents, although he was deeply indebted to the Company.
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