Smith's Canadian gazetteer - ElectricCanadian.com

iboat forty acres under caltivatlon, and possess two good log houses, and twO"
small log barus.
The Indians of the River aux Sables, have about sixty acres under improvement,
and one log house. Those at Kettle Point have twenty acres of
improved land, and two log houses. The land on the upper reserve was regularly
surveyed and laid out in farms. The chief with the approval of the
superintendent, placed most of the present occupants on these lands; but it is
not indispensable that he should be consulted, as the memWrs of the tribe may
choose any unoccupied spot ; when once in possession they are secure from
intrusion, but repeated ill conduct or drunkenness would subject them to be
expelled from the reserve of the chief.
They are decidedlj' improved in agriculture: they now understand ploughing,
seeding, harrowing, the management of cattle, &c. They possess eight ploughs
-.
and four harrows, which each family uses alternately a number of scythes and
sickles, two fanning mills, and four cross-cut saws, form part of their general
stock ; besides which each family possesses an axe, and a sufficiency of hoes, &c.
They have nine yoke of oxen, eight cows, and some young stock; besides a
large number of horses and pigs. They are exceedingly attentive to their cattle,,
and feed tuem well during the winter. They cultivate chiefly Indian corn and
potatoes, with small quantities of spring wheat, oats and peas. The field labour
is entirely done by ihe male adults; but the women do all the lighter work of
weeding and hoeing the Indian corn and potatoes.
Their fondness for hunting is much diminished, and they seldom hunt except
when obliged to do so by want of meat, their stock at present being insufficient
to keep them supplied. They have two excellent fisheries, yielding an abundance
of herrings and whitefish; and, during the run of the fish in the sprhig
and fall thej' devote a great part of their time to fishing. They have seines,
which the young men, combining in bunds, use alternately. Besides the fish
which they retain for their own consumption, they dispose of considerable quantities
to the white settlers on the banks of the river.
The majority of these Indians are Wesleyan Methodists; all those residing
in the upper reserve belong to that community, and attend public worship,,
which is performed in a capacious meeting-house built for the joint purpose of
a church and school-house by the government, and lent to the mission;
those at
the River aux Sables are either members of the Church of England, or are desirous
of being admitted into it. There are also one or two families of Roman
Catholics; and those residing at Kettle Point are heathens.
The members of the < Ihurch of England at the River aux Sables, to which
place they retired about two years ago, have as yet neither a clergyman nor a
place of worship. This year a catechist, an Indian by birth, has been appointed
by the hishoj) to the charge of this settlement.
There is a school-house at the upper reserve, under the direction of the missionary,
wtiicn i.s attended by twenty or thirty scholars of both sexes. The
health of these Lidians is good—their numbers are cm the increase; they generally
have five chiidron to a family, of whom perhaps three arrive at matuiity.
iVIany of these Indians are industrious ; some of those at the upjier resei've
are employed to cut cord-wood by the white settlers, and a few of them will
manage to cut and pile three cords of wood per day: others employ themselves
in making bowls, brooms, rush mats and matting, axe handles, baskets, &c.,
which they usually manage to dispose of to the wliite settlers in the neighbourhood
of the St. Clair.
ST.
CLAIR, LAKE.
A Lake situated between Lake Huron and Lake Eric. It receives the wattre
of the upper lakes from the lliver St. (^lair, and di.seluirges them into the Detroit
River. In the widest part it Is about t^^e;ll\ -six miie.^ across; and in length,
from the hearl of the Detroit ilivcr tu the entrance of the River St. Clair, it is