Samuel Hearne

July 16, 1771

Early in the morning of the sixteenth, the weather being fine and pleasant, I again proceeded with my survey, and continued it for ten miles farther down the river; but still found it the same as before, being every where full of falls and shoals.  At this time (it being about noon) the three men who has been sent as spies met us on there return, and informed my companions that five tents of Esquimaux  were on the west side of the river.  The situation, they said, was very convenient for surprising them; and, according to their account, I judged it to be about twelve miles from the place we met the spies.  When the Indians received this intelligence, no farther attendance or attention was paid to my survey, but their whole thoughts were immediately engaged in planning the best method of attack, and how they might steal on the poor Esquimaux the ensuing night, and kill them all while asleep.  To accomplish this design more effectually, the Indians thought it necessary to cross the river as soon as possible; and, by the account of the spies, it appeared that no part was more convenient for the purpose than that where we had met them, it being there very smooth, and at a considerable distance from any fall.  Accordingly, after the Indians had put all their guns, spears, targets, etc. in good order, we crossed the river, which took up some time.   

When we arrived on the west side of the river, each painted the front of his target or shield with the image of that being on which he relied most for success in the intended engagement.  Some were contented with a single representation; while others, doubtful, as I suppose, of the quality and power or any single being, had their shields covered to the very margin with a group of hieroglyphics quite unintelligible to every one except the painter.  Indeed, from the hurry in which this business was necessarily done, the want of every colour but red and black, and the deficiency of skill in the artist, most of those paintings had more the appearance of a number of accidental blotches, that “of any thing that is on earth of in the water under the earth;” and though some few of them conveyed a tolerable idea of the thing intended, yet even these were many degrees worse that our country sign-paintings in England.   

When this piece of superstition was completed, we began to advance toward the Esquimaux, tents; but were very careful to avoid crossing any hills, or talking loud, for fear of being seen or overheard by the inhabitants; by which means the distance was not only so much greater than it otherwise would have been, but, for the sake of keeping in the lowest grounds, we were obliged to walk through entire swamps of stiff marly clay, sometimes up to our knees.  Our course, however, on this occasion, though very serpentine, was not altogether so remote from the river as entirely to exclude me from a view of it the whole way: on the contrary, several times (according to the situation of the ground) we advanced so near it, as to give me an opportunity of convincing myself that it was unnavigable as it was in those parts which I had surveyed before, and which entirely corresponded with the accounts given of it by the spies.

It is perhaps worth remarking, that my crew, though an undisciplined rabble, and by no means accustomed to war or command, seemingly acted on this horrid occasion with the utmost uniformity of sentiment. There was not among them the least altercation or separate opinion; all were united in the general cause, and as ready to follow where Matonabbee led, as he appeared to be ready to lead, according to the advice of an old Copper Indian, who had joined us on our first arrival at the river where this bloody business was first proposed.

Never was reciprocity of interest was more generally regarded among a number of people, than it was on the present occasion by my crew, for not one was in a moment in want of any thing that another could spare; and if ever the spirit of disinterested friendship expanded the heart of a Northern Indian, it was here exhibited in the most extensive meaning of the word.  Property of every kind that could be of general use now ceased to be private, and every one who had any thing which came under that description, seemed proud of an opportunity of giving it, or leading it to those who had none, or were  most in want of it.

The number of my crew was so much greater than that which five tents could contain, and the warlike manner in which they were equipped so greatly superior to what could be expected of the poor Esquimaux, that no less than a total massacre of every one of them was likely to be the case, unless Providence should work a miracle for their deliverance. 

The land was so situated that we walked under cover of the rocks and hills till we were in two hundred yards of the tents.  There we lay in ambush for some time, watching the motions of the Esquimaux; and here the Indians would have advised me to stay till the fight was over, but to this I could by no means consent; for I considered that when the Esquimaux came to be surprised, they would try every way to escape, and if they found me alone, not knowing me from an enemy, they would probably proceed to violence against me when no person was near to assist.  For this reason I determined to accompany them telling them at the same time, that I would not have any hand in the murder they were about to commit, unless I found it necessary for my own safety.  The Indians were not displeased at this proposal; one of them immediately fixed me a spear, and another lent me a broad bayonet for my protection, but at that time I could not be provided with a target, nor did I want to be encumbered with such an unnecessary piece of lumber. 

While we lay in ambush, the Indians preformed the last ceremonies which were thought necessary before the engagement.  These chiefly consisted in painting their faces; some all black, some all red, and others with a mixture of the two; and to prevent their hair from blowing into their eyes, it was either tied before and behind, and on both sides, or else cut all round.  The next thing they considered was to make themselves as light as possible for running; which they did, by pulling off their stockings, and either cutting off the sleeves of their jackets, or rolling them up so close to their arm-pits; and though the muskettoes at the time were so numerous as to surpass all credibility, yet some of the Indians actually pulled off their jackets and entered the lists quite naked, except their breech-cloths and shoes.  Fearing I might have occasion to run with the rest, I thought it also advisable to pull off my stockings and cap, and to tie my hair close up as possible. 

By the time the Indians had made themselves thus completely frightful, it was near one o’clock in the morning of the seventeenth; when finding all the Esquimaux quiet in their tents, they rushed forth from their ambuscade, and fell on the poor unsuspecting creatures, unperceived till close at the very eves of their tents, when they soon began the bloody massacre, while I stood neuter in the rear.

In the few seconds the horrible scene commenced; it was shocking beyond description; the poor unhappy victims were surprised in midst of their sleep, and had neither time nor power to make any resistance; men, women, and children, in all upward of twenty, ran out of their tents stark naked, and endeavoured to make their escape; but the Indians having possession of all the land-side, to no place could they fly for shelter.  One alternative only remained, that of jumping into the river; but, as none of them attempted it, they all fell a sacrifice to Indian barbarity!

The shrieks and groans of the poor expiring wretches were truly dreadful; and my horror was much increased at seeing a young girl, seemingly about eighteen years of age, killed to near me, that when the first spear struck into her side she fell down at my feet, and twisted round my legs, so that it was with difficulty that I could disengage myself from her dying grasps.  As two Indian men pursued this unfortunate victim, I solicited very hard for her life; but murderers made no reply till they has stuck both their spears through her body, and transfixed her to the ground.  They then looked me sternly in the face, and began to ridicule me, by asking if I wanted an Esquimaux wife; and paid not the smallest regard to the shrieks and agony of the poor wretch, who was twining round their spears like an eel!  Indeed, after receiving much abusive language from them on the occasion, I was at length obliged to desire that they would be more expeditious in dispatching their victim out of her misery, otherwise I should be obliged, out of pity, to assist in the friendly office of putting an end to existence of a fellow creature who was so cruelly wounded.  On this request being made, one of the Indians hastily drew his spear from the place where it was first lodged, and pierced it through her breast near the heart.  The love of life, however, even in this most miserable state, was so predominant, that though this might justly be called the most merciful act that could be done for the poor creature, it seemed unwelcomed, for though much exhausted by pain and loss of blood, she made several efforts to ward off the friendly blow.  My situation and the terror of my mind at beholding this butchery, cannot easily be conceived, much less described; though I summed up all the fortitude I was master of on the occasion, it was with difficulty that I could refrain from tears; and I am confident that my features must have feelingly expressed how sincerely I was affected at the barbarous scene I then witnessed; even at this hour I cannot reflect on the transactions of that horrid day without shedding tears. 

The brutish manner in which these savages used the bodies they had so cruelly bereaved of life was so shocking, that it would be indecent to describe it; particularly their curiosity in examining, and the remarks they made, on the formation of the women; which, they pretended to say, differed materially from that of their own.  For my own part I must acknowledge, that however favourable the opportunity for determining that point might have been, yet my thoughts at the time were too much agitated to admit any of such remarks; and I firmly believe, that had there been as much difference between them as said to be between the Hottentots and those of Europe, it wound not have been in my power to have marked the distinction.  I have reason to think, however, that there is no ground for the assertion; and really believe that the declaration of the Indians on this occasion, was utterly void of truth, and proceeded only from the implacable hatred then bore to the whole tribe of people of whom I am speaking. 

When the Indians had completed the murder of the poor Esquimaux, seven other tents on the East side of the river immediately engaged their attention; very luckily, however, our canoes and baggage had been left at a little distance up the river, so that they had no way of crossing to get at them.  The river at this part being a little more than eighty yards, wide, they began firing at them from the West side.  The poor Esquimaux on the opposite shore, though all up in arms, did not attempt to aboandon their tents; and they were so unacquainted with the nature of firearms, that when the bullets struck the ground, they ran in crowds to see what was sent them, and seemed anxious to examine all the pieces of lead which they found flattened against the rocks.  At length one of the Esquimaux men was shot in the calf of his leg, which put them in great confusion.  They all immediately embarked in their little canoes, and paddled to a shoal in the middle of the river, which being somewhat more than a fun-shot from any part of the shore, put them out of the reach of our barbarians.

When the savages discovered that the surviving Esquimaux had gained the shore above mentioned, the Northern Indians began to plunder the tents of the deceased of all the copper utensils they could find; such as hatchets, bayonets, knives, etc. after which they assembled on the top of the adjacent  hill, and standing all in a cluster, so as to form a solid circle, with their spears erect in the air, gave many shouts of victory, constantly clashing their spears against each other, and frequently calling out tima! tima! [Tima in the Esquimaux language is a friendly word similar to what cheer.—Hearne’s footnote] By way of derision to the poor surviving Esquimaux, who were standing on the shoal almost knee-deep in water.  After parading the hill for some time, it was agreed to return up the river to the place where we had left our canoes and baggage, which was about a half mile distant, and then to cross the river again and plunder the seven tents of the East side. This resolution was immediately put in force, and a ferrying across with only three or four canoes took a considerable time, and as we were, from the crookedness of the river and the form of the land, entirely under cover, several of the poor surviving Esquimaux, thinking probably that we were gone about our business, and meant to trouble them no more, had returned from the shoal to their habitations.  When we approached their tents, which we did under cover of the rocks, we found them busily employed tying up bundles; these the Indians seized with their usual ferocity; on which, the Esquimaux having their canoes lying ready in the water, immediately embarked, all of them got safe to the former shoal, except one old man, who was so intent on collecting his things, that the Indians coming upon him before he could reach his canoe, he fell sacrifice to their fury: I verily believe not less than twenty had a handed in his death, as his whole body was like a cullender.  It is here necessary to observe that the spies, when on the lookout, could not see these seven tents, though close under them, as the bank, on which they stood, stretched over them.

It ought to have been mentioned in its proper place, that in making our retreat up the river, after killing the Esquimaux on the West side, we saw and old woman sitting by the side of the water, killing salmon, which lay at the foot of the fall as thick as a shoal of herrings.  Whether from the noise of the fall, or a natural defect in the old woman’s hearing, it is hard to determine, but certain it is, she  had no knowledge of the tragical scene which had been so lately transacted at the tents, though she was not more than two hundred yards from the place.  When we first perceived her, she seemed perfectly at ease, and was entirely surrounded with the produce of her labour.  From her manner of behaviour, and the appearance of her eyes, which were as red as blood, it is more than probable that her sight was not very good; for she scarcely discerned that the Indians were enemies, till they were within twice the length of their spears of her.  It was in vain that she attempted to fly, for the wretches of my crew transfixed her to the ground in a few seconds, and butchered her in the most savage manner,  there was scarcely a man among them who had not had a thrust at her with his spear; and many in doing this, aimed at torture, rather that immediate death, as they not only poked her eyes out, but stabber her in many parts very remote from those that are vital.

It may appear strange, that a person supposed to be almost blind should be employed in the business of fishing, and particularly with any degree of success; but when the multitude of fish is taken into account, the wonder will cease.  Indeed they were so numerous at the foot of the fall, that when a light pole, armed with a few spikes, which was the instrument the old woman used, was put under water, and hauled up with a jerk, it was scarcely possible to miss them.  Some of my Indians tried the method, for curiosity, with the old woman’s staff, and seldom got less than two at a jerk, sometimes three or four.  Those fish, though very fine, and beautifully red, are but small, seldom weighing more (as near as I could judge) than six or seven pounds, and in general much less.  Their numbers at this place were almost incredible, perhaps to equal to any thing that is related to the salmon in Kamschatka, or any other part of the world.  It does not appear that the Esquimaux have any other method of catching the fish, unless it be by spears and darts; for no other appearance of nets was discovered either at their tents, on on any part of the shore.  This is the case with all the Esquimaux on the West side of Hudson’s Bay; spearing in Summer, and angling in Winter, are the only methods that they have devised to catch fish, though at times their whole dependence for support in on that article.