Volume 1

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SEVERAL MURDERS—THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. 209
tell me the buffalo continue in abundance from this place
to that river, and as far as the eye could reach southward.
What vast numbers there must be
Feb. 6th. I went to Turtle river ; was gone eight days.
The crust on the snow is so hard as to bear a man without
snowshoes, which makes it
pleasant traveling with dogs.
Feb. 15th. Indians drinking at the fort. Tabashaw
stabbed a near relation of his own, Missistaygouine, in six
different places in the breast and sides ;
every stab went up
to the handle ; the poor fellow lingered an hour and died.
Water Hen [Poule d'Eau], in fighting with another Indian,
was thrown into the fire and roasted terribly from his neck
to his rump. Both these affairs proceeded from jealousy.
2^th. In the evening we were surprised by hearing three
reports of a gun. Old Fallewine [Vieux Folle Avoine, Old
Wild Rice], soon arrived, and bawled out at a distance, as
soon as he thought we could hear him, that five Indians had
been murdered near Portage la Prairie since I passed there,
relations of himself and some others camped here. This
firing was the usual signal of death in carrying news from
one camp to another. But the Indians totally neglect
their ancient customs; and to what can this degeneracy be
ascribed but to their intercourse with us, particularly as they
are so unfortunate as to have a continual succession of
opposition parties to teach them roguery and destroy both
mind and body with that pernicious article, rum ? What a
different set of people they would be, were there not a drop
of liquor in the country ! If a murder is committed among
the Saulteurs, it is always in a drinking match. We may
truly say that liquor is the root of all evil in the North West.
Great bawling and lamentation went on, and I was troubled
most of the night for liquor to wash away grief.
Feb. 2yth. Little Crane [Petite Grue], and Gros Bras'
[Thick Arms] son, died about the same time. We buried
them in one grave ; the ground was frozen solid for 3^ feet.
I have a net under the ice, and take daily from 5 to 10 fish,
lacaishe, suckers, pike, dor^, etc.