_this_ occasions that cannibalism which is Produced or proceeds rather from a sort of distemper much resembling _maniaism_. There are 3 sorts or kinds that I know of, & beleive there are no more. The first I have already related as above, & the 2 I am going to give you are sometimes _compounded_ together & sometimes _independent_; but they are both equally true & melancly & distressing in whatever light we may view them: However, I shall not pretend by any means to palm _all_ that is said about them upon you as true--of this you'll by & bye be able to judge as well as myself & not doubt. The first of these are such as are driven to this dreadful extremity by starvation. In all _woody_ countries where the inhabitants lead a wandering, roving life, & whose subsistence depend upon the Game they procure, they must of necessity be frequently pinched, & some- times bro't very low. All _People_ cannot bear this privation alike & tho' there is perhaps not a (46) a people in this world who take this so patiently as those people do, yet there are not wanting in- stances where even with them that _nature_ gives-way. They vanish as a _dying_ Candle; but others can- not stand it out so long: they must have something to eat, be it what it may: sometimes, tho' with the most extreme reluctance at first, they feed upon the flesh of such as _have died_. Any kind of animal substance at such times, must come very grateful to the Stomack; & hence it is I be- lieve that those who have once preyed upon their fellows, ever after feel a great desire for the same nourishment, & are not so scrupulous about the means of procuring it. I have seen several that had been reduced this distressing alternative, & tho' many years after there ap- peared to me a wildness in their eyes, a confusion in their countenances much resem- bling that of reprieved murderers....Now if we consider how very precarious their mode of subsistance is, how devoted they are to superstition & prejudice, we, i. e. such of _us_ as know more about them, we, I say, may wonder how they stand out so well: very many instances I have known seem to be far beyond the power of human nature to stand:--Yet notwithstanding this dreadful privation lasts not for a few days, but even to weeks & months, during all which time the men are out from star-light to star-light & have never anything more to _eat_ than some bits of leather, moss, bark & such like, it is very rare they will kill a _fellow_ to live upon him. This is not universal, there are unfortunately still too many exceptions; but these again would seem as denounciations from their Gods-- --They appear so to me--I can scarcely doubt it! and the indians themselves seem to think the same tho' in another way. At this place where I am now writing (Lac La Ronge, English River) but a few years back several instances occurred. An old Canadian is said to have lost one of his