hottest days in fummer fo fultry. If a man is frozen in the upper country, it is owing to his not having taken proper care of himself; whereas upon the fea coaft, with every neceffary precaution, a man will frequently have his nofe, face, or fingers-ends fkinned. The heavens, in cold winter nights, do not exhibit that luminous appearance, which, as before remarked, is obfervable on the fea coaft; nor do the stars shine with that refulgent luftre. The Aurora Borealis is not fo common nor fo brilliant; the Parhelia and Parafelenes are less frequent; and fogs in the winter, are unknown. In short, the fea coaft and the upper country will admit of no com. parison one is temperate and healthy, the land dry, pleafant, and fertile in fpontaneous productions, and the animal creation various and excellent for the support of man: in it, a person who could live retired, might pafs his days with eafe, content, and felicity, and if he did not enjoy an uninterrupted ftate of health, it would not be the fault of the air he lived in. On the other hand, the lower country is one endless bog, where the favage animals themselves are fometimes conftantly fwampt. The fineft fummer's day will begin with a scorching heat, and terminate with a cold eafterly fea fog. The weather usually incident to autumn and midfummer, is experienced in their different extremes during the fhort space of twelve hours. The inhabitants frequently fall a prey to the feverity of the froft. The whole country furnishes but one fpecies of quadruped fit for the fupport of man; and the Europeans are accurfed with an afflicting epidemical disorder, which they very emphatically term the "The Country Distemper." FACE OF THE COUNTRY, SOIL, &c. As far inland as the Hudfon Bay Company have fettlements, which is fix hundred miles to the weft of Fort Churchill, at a place called Hudfon Houfe, lat. 53°, lon. 106° 27′ W. from London, is flat country; nor is it known how far to the eastward the great chain of mountains feen by the navigators from the Pacific Ocean branches off. From Moose River, or the bottom of the bay, to Cape Churchill, the land is flat, marshy, and wooded with pines, birch, larch, and wil lows. The pine trees, which are of different kinds, are but small; near the fea-coafts they generally run knotty, and are unfit to be used in the ftructure of good buildings. The fame may be faid of the ju niper trees, growing in the fame fituation. But on leaving the marshy ground, and retiring inland to the fouthward, the trees are of a more stately growth; and about Moose and Albany Forts, they are found of all diameters. Here the climate is much much more temperate than at York Fort and Churchill Settlement. Potatoes, turnips, and almoft every fpecies of kitchen garden ftuff, are reared with facility; and no doubt corn might be cultivated, if the lords of the foil, the Hudfon's Bay Company, had patriotifm enough to make this extenfive country of any fervice to Great-Britain. But it has been an invariable maxim with them for many years pait, to damp every laudable endeavour in their fervants, that might tend to make thefe countries generally beneficial to the Mother Country. This conduct will appear very extraordinary to those who are unacquainted with the self-interefted views of the Company. They imagine, that if it was known to the nation, that the lands they poffefs were capable of cultivation, it might induce individuals to enquire into their right to an exclufive charter; it is therefore their bufinefs to represent it in the worst light poffible, to difcourage an inquiry, which would shake the foundation of their beloved monopsly. Throughout the woods to the fouthward the ground is covered with a very thick mofs, among which grow various kinds of fmall fhrubs, bearing fruit, fuch as goofeberries, currants, ftrawberries, rasberries, cranberries, with many others too tedious to mention. A herb, which the natives call Wee fuc a pucka, grows very plentifully in all parts of the country. The Indians make use of it by way of medicine; it makes a very agreeable tea, and is much ufed here, both by Europeans and natives, not only for its pleasant flavour, but for its falutary effects. Its virtues are many; it is an aromatic, very ferviceable in rheumatic cafes, ftrengthens the ftomach, relicts the head, and alfo promotes perspiration. Outwardly, it is applied to gangrenes, contufions, and excoriations; in the latter cafe the powder is made use of. Another herb of much utility to the natives grows likewife here; this they call Jack afb a puck. They mix it with their tobacco to reduce its trength. In the interior of the country is a great quantity of coal, which is conveyed down the rivers by the currents. A perfon belonging to the Hudfon Bay Company once brought down a piece he had taken from the earth, where it was piled up in heaps. It was in every respect fimilar to that brought to London from the North of England and Scotland. He faid that he afked the Indians the use of it; and on their expreffing their ignorance, he put fome of it in the fire, which burnt violently to their great astonishment. What other treasures may be concealed in this unknown repofitory, or what valuable ores may b intermixed with the coal, we will not take upon us to determine. All these countries are well ftored with moofe, beavers, otters, D 2 but the red deer, jumping deer, and buffalo, are not to be found till where the country becomes more open, and fo free from woods, that in many places fcarce a fufficiency can be procured to make a temporary fire for travellers, who are obliged instead thereof to use buffalo dung. Many fpacious lakes are to be found in the inland parts. Moft of thefe abound with fish, especially when joined to a river; but the natives feldom or never look after them, and the greater part of those Indians who come to the English fettlements to trade, will neither eat fifh, water-fowl, nor any amphibious animal. How far the foil of this country may be favourable to the culture of vegetables we are not enabled to advance. Experiments, which fhould be our principle guide to knowledge in thefe matters, never having been much made use of, though we may venture to affert, that many parts would admit of cultivation. The Hudfon's Bay Company fervants have tried Indian corn and barley, by way of experiment, which came to perfection; potatoes, turnips, carrots, radishes, onions, &c. have been lately reared, and found as good as those in Canada. The fruits which fpontaneously fhoot up, are not in fuch great variety in the wilderneffes of Canada, as in the country we are speaking of. The natives collect vast quantities of a kind of wild cherries and bring them in for fale. The Hudfon's Bay people make an excellent beverage of them, which is grateful to the taste, and is an excellent antifcorbutic. Rafpberries, ftrawberries, currants, cranberries, and an infinity of other kinds are to be found every where. So that a perfon, without the help of ammunition, may in the fummer feafon procure a very comfortable fubfiftence, were he bewildered, and alone. Should any one be in this fituation, almost every pond of water would furnish him with eggs of ducks, &c. and every thicket with a fatiety of delicious fruit. The eastern coaft is barren, paft the efforts of cultivation. The furface is every where uneven, and covered with maffes of stone of an amazing fize. It is a country of fruitless and frightful mountains, fome of an astonishing height. The vallies are full of lakes, formed not from fprings, but rain and fnow, fo chilly as to be productive of a few fmall trout only. The mountains have here and there a blightedfhrub, or a little mofs. The vallies are full of crooked, ftunted trees, pines, fir, birch, and cedars, or rather a fpecies of the juniper. In titude 60° on this coaft, vegetation ceafes. The whole fhore, like that on the weft, is faced with islands at fome diflance from land. The principal rivers which water this country, are the Wager, Monk, Monk, Seal, Pockerekesko, Churchill, Nelfon, Hayes, New Severn, Albany, and Moose rivers, all which empty into Hudfon's and James Bay from the weft. The mouths of all the rivers are filled with hoals, except Churchill's in which the largeft fhips may lie; but ten miles higher the channel is obftracted by fand banks. All the rivers as far as they have been explored, are full of rapids and cataracts, from ten to fixty feet perpendicular. Down thefe rivers the Indian traders find a quick paffage; but their return is a labour of many months. INHABITANTS, CUSTOMS, &c. The inhabitants among the mountains are Indians; along the coafts, Efquimaux. The Hudfon's Bay Indians, in all probability, were originally tall, properly proportioned, ftrongly made, and of as manly an appearance as any people whatever. This, however, was before their commerce with Europeans had enervated and debafed their minds and bodies, by introducing fpirituous liquors among them, and habituating them to fevere courfes of drinking. They are naturally much addicted to this fatal cuftom; but when it is encouraged and enforced by thofe who call themselves an enlightened people, it certainly is not only blameable, but highly criminal. Were common sense but made use of to direct the conduct of those who are benefited by the trade carried on with the Indians, felf-intereft and good policy would teach them. to difcourage, as much as poffible, a habit fo prejudicial to them, and fatally deftructive to thefe miferable people. They are generally of a benevolent difpofition, and eafy to be perfuaded by perfons who underftand their language; but as a moft unconfcionable gain is got by trading in fpirits with them, it is not to be fuppofed the factors will ever be induced to put a stop to this unchriftian practice. An Indian will barter away all his furs, nay even leave himfelf without a rag to cover his nakednefs, in exchange for that vile unwhole fome stuff, called English brandy. If by fuch exceffive intoxication they only ir reparably injured their own conftitutions, and debilitated their race, the confequences, though pernicious, would not be fo dreadful as they ufually are; but during their intoxication not only frefh quarrels enfue, old grievances are alfo renewed, and death is frequently the confequence of former bickerings, which but for this ftimulator had been buried in oblivion. By this diabolical commerce the country is impoverished of inhabitants, the trade of courfe imperceptibly declines, and this extenfive fettlement is in a great measure prevented from rivalling many of our other foreign eftablishments, The The natives are however a people of a middle fize, of à copper complexion, their features regular and agreeable, and few diftorted or deformed perfons are feen among them. When young they have exceffive large bellies, which is to be attributed to the enormous quantity of food they devour; but as they grow towards puberty this part decreases to a common fize. Their conftitutions are strong and healthy, and their disorders few; the chief of these is the dyfentery, and a violent pain in the breast, which the English call the Country Diftemper. The latter is fuppofed to proceed from the cold air being drawn into the lungs; which impeding the veffels from spreading throughout that organ, hinders the circulation, and renders respiration extremely painful and difficult. They feldom live to a great age, but enjoy all their faculties to the laft. In their difpofitions they are mild, affable, and good-natured, when fober; but when intoxicated they are loft to every focial quality, and discover the greatest propensity to quarrelling, theft, and the worst of vices. When we view the fair fide of their characters, we find them kind, courteous, and benevolent to each other, relieving the wants and neceffities of their diftreffed brethren with the greatest good-nature, either by counsel, food, or cloathing. The good effects of this excellent difpofition are frequently experienced by themfelves; for, as in their mode of life no one known how foon it may be his own fate to be reduced to the verge of extremity, he fecures for himself a return of kindness, should he experience that viciffitude. On the other hand they are fly, cunning, and artful to a great degree; they glory in every species of furacity and artifice, especially when the theft or deception has been fo well executed as to escape detection. Their love to their offspring is carried to a very great height. From the state of childhood to maturity they feldom or never correct their children, alledging, that when they grow up they will know better of them. felves. Neither is this indulgence made a bad use of when reflection fucceeds the irregularities of youth; on the contrary, fentiments of reverence, gratitude, and love, link their affections to the authors of their being; and they feldom fail to give the utmost assistance to thei aged parents whenever their imbecility requires it. With respect to their corporeal abilities, they are almost without exception great walkers; they patiently endure cold, hunger, and fatigue; and bear all misfortunes with admirable fortitude and refig. nation, which enables them bravely to encounter the profpect of ill, and renders the mind ferene under the preffure of adverfity. As their sountry abounds with innumerable herds of deer, elks, and buffaloes, they |