The muskrat frequently inhabits the same lodge with
the beaver and the otter also thrusts himself in occasionally; the latter
however is not always a civil guest as he sometimes devours his host.
These are the animals most interesting in an economical point of view.
The American hare and several kinds of grouse and ptarmigan also
contribute towards the support of the natives; and the geese, in their
periodical flights in the spring and autumn, likewise prove a valuable
resource both to the Indians and white residents; but the principal
article of food after the moose-deer is fish; indeed it forms almost the
sole support of the traders at some of the posts. The most esteemed fish
is the Coregonus albus, the attihhawmeg of the Crees and the white-fish
of the Americans. Its usual weight is between three and four pounds, but
it has been known to reach sixteen or eighteen pounds. Three fish of the
ordinary size is the daily allowance to each man at the fort and is
considered as equivalent to two geese or eight pounds of solid
moose-meat. The fishery for the attihhawmeg lasts the whole year but is
most productive in the spawning season from the middle of September to
the middle of October. The ottonneebees (Coregonus artedi) closely
resembles the last. Three species of carp (Catastomus hudsonius, C.
forsterianus, and C. lesueurii) are also found abundantly in all the
lakes, their Cree names are namaypeeth, meethquawmaypeeth, and
wapawhawkeeshew. The occuw, or river perch, termed also horn-fish,
piccarel, or dore, is common, but is not so much esteemed as the
attihhawmeg. It attains the length of twenty inches in these lakes. The
methy is another common fish; it is the Gadus lota, or burbot, of Europe.
Its length is about two feet, its gullet is capacious and it preys upon
fish large enough to distend its body to nearly twice its proper size. It
is never eaten, not even by the dogs, unless through necessity but its
liver and roe are considered as delicacies.
The pike is also plentiful and, being readily caught in the wintertime
with the hook, is so much prized on that account by the natives as to
receive from them the name of eithinyoocannooshoeoo, or Indian fish. The
common trout, or nammoecous, grows here to an enormous size, being caught
in particular lakes, weighing upwards of sixty pounds; thirty pounds is
no uncommon size at Beaver Lake, from whence Cumberland House is
supplied. The Hioden clodalis, oweepeetcheesees, or gold-eye, is a
beautiful small fish which resembles the trout in its habits.
One of the largest fish is the mathemegh, cat-fish, or barbue. It belongs
to the genus silurus. It is rare but is highly prized as food.
The sturgeon (Accipenser ruthenus) is also taken in the Saskatchewan and
lakes communicating with it and furnishes an excellent but rather rich
article of food.
CHAPTER 4.
LEAVE CUMBERLAND HOUSE.
MODE OF TRAVELLING IN WINTER.
ARRIVAL AT CARLTON HOUSE.
STONE INDIANS.
VISIT TO A BUFFALO POUND.
GOITRES.
DEPARTURE FROM CARLTON HOUSE.
ISLE A LA CROSSE.
ARRIVAL AT FORT CHIPEWYAN.
LEAVE CUMBERLAND HOUSE.
January 18, 1820.
This day we set out from Cumberland House for Carlton House but,
previously to detailing the events of the journey, it may be proper to
describe the necessary equipments of a winter traveller in this region
which I cannot do better than by extracting the following brief but
accurate account of it from Mr. Hood's journal:
MODE OF TRAVELLING IN WINTER.
A snowshoe is made of two light bars of wood fastened together at their
extremities and projected into curves by transverse bars. The side bars
have been so shaped by a frame and dried before a fire that the front
part of the shoe turns up like the prow of a boat and the part behind
terminates in an acute angle; the spaces between the bars are filled up
with a fine netting of leathern thongs except that part behind the main
bar which is occupied by the feet; the netting is there close and strong,
and the foot is attached to the main bar by straps passing round the heel
but only fixing the toes so that the heel rises after each step, and the
tail of the shoe is dragged on the snow. Between the main bar and another
in front of it a small space is left, permitting the toes to descend a
little in the act of raising the heel to make the step forward, which
prevents their extremities from chafing. The length of a snowshoe is from
four to six feet and the breadth one foot and a half, or one and
three-quarters, being adapted to the size of the wearer. The motion of
walking in them is perfectly natural for one shoe is level with the snow
when the edge of the other is passing over it. It is not easy to use them
among bushes without frequent overthrows, nor to rise afterwards without
help. Each shoe weighs about two pounds when unclogged with snow. The
northern Indian snowshoes differ a little from those of the southern
Indians, having a greater curvature on the outside of each shoe, one
advantage of which is that when the foot rises the over-balanced side
descends and throws off the snow. All the superiority of European art has
been unable to improve the native contrivance of this useful machine.
Sledges are made of two or three flat boards curving upwards in front and
fastened together by transverse pieces of wood above. They are so thin
that, if heavily laden, they bend with the inequalities of the surface
over which they pass.
