In The Meantime Their Premature
Departure From The Woods Caused Them To Suffer From Want Of Food And We
Were In Some Degree Involved In Their Distress.
We received no supplies
from the hunters, our nets produced but very few fish, and the pounded
meat which we had intended to keep for summer use was nearly expended.
Our meals at this period were always scanty and we were occasionally
restricted to one in the day.
The Indian families about the house, consisting principally of women and
children, suffered most. I had often requested them to move to Akaitcho's
lodge where they were more certain of receiving supplies but, as most of
them were sick or infirm, they did not like to quit the house, where they
daily received medicines from Dr. Richardson, to encounter the fatigue of
following the movements of a hunting camp. They cleared away the snow on
the site of the autumn encampments to look for bones, deer's feet, bits
of hide, and other offal. When we beheld them gnawing the pieces of hide
and pounding the bones for the purpose of extracting some nourishment
from them by boiling we regretted our inability to relieve them, but
little thought that we should ourselves be afterwards driven to the
necessity of eagerly collecting these same bones a second time from the
dunghill.
At this time, to divert the attention of the men from their wants, we
encouraged the practice of sliding down the steep bank of the river upon
sledges.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 394 of 649
Words from 106368 to 106619
of 176017
