The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 387, August 28, 1829 — John Shaqi
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 387, August 28, 1829Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 14, No. 387, August 28, 1829
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
"On the 31st of October, 1828, last, we entered the country at the mouth
of the River Exploits, on the north side, at what is called the Northern
Arm. We took a north-westerly direction, to lead us to Hall's Bay, which
place we reached through an almost uninterrupted forest, over a hilly
country, in eight days. This tract comprehends the country interior from
New Bay, Badger Bay, Seal Bay, &c.; these being minor bays, included in
Green or Notre Dame Bay, at the north-east part of the island, and well
known to have been always heretofore the summer residence of the Red
Indians.
"On the fourth day after our departure, at the east end of Badger
Bay-Great Lake, at a _portage_ known by the name of the Indian Path, we
found traces made by the Red Indians, evidently in the spring or summer of
the preceding year. Their party had had two canoes; and here was a
_canoe-rest_, on which the daubs of red ochre, and the roots of trees used
to fasten or tie it together appeared fresh. A canoe-rest, is simply a few
beams supported horizontally about five feet from the ground, by
perpendicular posts. A party with two canoes, when descending from the
interior to the sea-coast, through such a part of the country as this,
where there are troublesome portages, leave one canoe resting, bottom up,
on this kind of frame, to protect it from injury by the weather, until
their return. Among other things which lay strewed about here, were a
spearshaft, eight feet in length, recently made and ochred; parts of old
canoes, fragments of their skin-dresses, &c. For some distance around, the
trunks of many of the birch, and of that species of spruce pine called
here the Var (_Pinus balsamifera_) had been rinded; these people using the
inner part of the bark of that kind of tree for food. Some of the cuts in
the trees with the axe, were evidently made the preceding year. Besides
these, we were elated by other encouraging signs. The traces left by the
Red Indians are so peculiar, that we were confident those we saw here were
made by them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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