Deer
proved pretty plentiful for some time, but to my great surprise, when I wanted
to give Matonabbee a little ammunition for his own use, I found that my guide,[103]Conreaquefè, who had it all under his care, had so
embezzled or otherways expended it, that only ten balls and about three pounds
of powder remained; so that long before we arrived at the Fort we were obliged
to cut up an ice-chissel into square lumps, as a substitute for ball. It is,
however, rather dangerous firing lumps of iron out of such slight barrels as
are brought to this part of the world for trade. These, though light and handy,
and of course well adapted for the use of both English and Indians in long
journies, and of sufficient strength for leaden shot or ball, are not strong
enough for {57} this kind of shot; and strong fowling-pieces would not only be
too heavy for the laborious ways of hunting in this country, but their bores
being so much larger, would require more than double the quantity of ammunition
that small ones do; which, to Indians at least, must be an object of no
inconsiderable importance.
A Journey from Prince of
Wales's Fort in
Hudson's Bay to the
Northern Ocean in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, by Samuel Hearne
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