Lecture On The Aborigines Of Newfoundland | Page 9

iron, &c. The settlers, in return, mercilessly shot all the
Indians they could meet with:--in fact so fearful were the latter of
fire-arms, that, in an open space, one person with a gun would frighten
a hundred; when concealed among the bushes, however, they often
made a most desperate resistance. I have heard an old man, named
Rogers, living on Twillingate Great Island, boast that he had shot, at

different periods, above sixty of them. So late as 1817, this wretch,
accompanied by three others, one day discovered nine unfortunate
Indians lying asleep on a small island far up the bay. Loading the large
guns[A] very heavily, they rowed up to them, and each taking aim,
fired. One only rose, and rushing into the water, endeavoured to swim
to another island, close by, covered with wood; but the merciless
wretch followed in the boat, and butchered the poor creature in the
water with an axe, then took the body to the shore and piled it on those
of the other eight, whom his companions had in the meantime put out
of their misery. He minutely described, to me the spot, and I afterwards
visited the place, and found their bones in a heap, bleached and
whitened with the winter's blast.
I have now, I think, said enough to account for the shyness of the
Indians towards the settlers, but could relate many other equally
revolting scenes, some of which I shall hereafter touch upon. In 1815 or
1816, Lieutenant, now Captain Buchan, set out on an expedition to
endeavour to meet with the Indians, for the purpose of opening a
friendly communication with them. He succeeded in meeting with them,
and the intercourse seemed firmly established, so much so, that two of
them consented to go and pass the night with Captain Buchan's party,
he leaving two of his men who volunteered to stop. On returning to the
Indians' encampment in the morning, accompanied by the two who had
remained all night, on approaching the spot, the two Indians manifested
considerable disquietude, and after exchanging a few glances with each
other, broke from their conductors and rushed into the woods. On
arriving at the encampment. Captain Buchan's poor fellows lay on the
ground a frightful spectacle, their heads being severed from their bodies,
and almost cut to pieces.
In the summer of 1818, a person who had established a salmon fishery
at the mouth of Exploits River, had a number of articles stolen by the
Indians; they consisted of a gold watch, left accidentally in the boat, the
boat's sails, some hatchets, cordage, and iron implements. He therefore
resolved on sending an expedition into the country, in order to recover
his property.

The day before the party set off, I arrived accidentally at the house,
taking a survey of numerous bodies of woodcutters belonging to the
establishment with which I was connected. The only time anyone can
penetrate into the interior in the winter season, the lakes and rivers
being frozen over; even the Bay of Exploits, though salt water, was
then (the end of January) frozen for sixty miles. Having proposed to
accompany the party, they immediately consented. Our equipments
consisted of a musket, bayonet, and hatchet; to each of the servants a
pistol; Mr. ---- and myself had, in addition, another pistol and a dagger,
and a double-barrelled gun, instead of a musket: each carried a pair of
snowshoes, a supply of eight pounds of biscuit and a piece of pork,
ammunition, and one quart of rum; besides, we had a light sled and
four dogs, who took it in turns in dragging the sled, which contained a
blanket for each man, rum and other necessaries. We depended on our
guns for a supply of provisions, and at all times could meet with plenty
of partridges and hares, though there were few days we did not kill a
deer. The description of one day's journey will suffice for all, there
being but little variation. The snow was at this time about eight feet
deep.
On the morning of our departure we set off in good spirits up the river,
and after following its course for about twelve miles, arrived at the
Rapids, a deer at full speed passed us; I fired, and it fell; the next
instant a wolf, in full pursuit, made his appearance; on seeing the party,
he halted for an instant, and then rushed forward as if to attack us. Mr.
---- however, anticipated him; for taking a steady aim, at the same time
sitting coolly on an old tree, he passed a bullet through the fellow's
head, who was soon stretched a corpse on the snow; a few minutes after
another appeared, when several firing together he also fell, roaring and
howling for a long time,