* * * * *

THE CONTEMPORARY TRAVELLER.

JOURNEY IN SEARCH OF THE RED INDIANS OF NEWFOUNDLAND.

In the island of Newfoundland, an institution has been formed for opening a communication with, and promoting the civilization of, the Red Indians; and procuring, if possible, an authentic history of that unhappy race of people, in order that their language, customs, and pursuits, may be contrasted with those of other tribes of Indians and nations.  The interior of the island is less known than any other British possessions abroad; but, from the exertions of the above Society, more information has been collected concerning the natives, than has been obtained during the two centuries and a half in which Newfoundland has been in possession of Europeans.  The last journey was undertaken by W.E.  Cormack, Esq., president of the Society.  His report has appeared in a recent Number of the Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, and will, we are persuaded, be interesting to our readers: 

“My party,” says Mr. Cormack, “consisted of three Indians, whom I procured from among the other different tribes, viz. an intelligent and able man of the Abenakie tribe, from Canada; an elderly Mountaineer from Labrador; and an adventurous young Micmack, a native of this island, together with myself.  It was my intention to have commenced our search at White Bay, which is nearer the northern extremity of the island than where we did, and to have travelled southward.  But the weather not permitting to carry my party thither by water, after several days’ delay, I unwillingly changed my line of route.

“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