Catharine and Hector declared that he went out with his bow and arrows, and
visited his dead-falls and snares, ten times oftener than he used to do,
just for the sake of proving the admirable properties of this precious
utensil, and finding out some new way of dressing his game. At all events
there was a valuable increase of furs, for making up into clothing, caps,
leggings, mitts, and other articles.
From the Indian girl Catharine learned the value of many of the herbs and
shrubs that grew in her path, the bark and leaves of various trees, and
many dyes she could extract, with which she stained the quills of the
porcupine and the strips of the wood of which she made baskets and
mats. The little creeping winter-green, [Footnote: _Gualtheria
procumbens_,--Spice Winter-green.] with its scarlet berries, that grows on
the dry flats, or sandy hills, which the Canadians call spice-berry, she
showed them was good to eat, and she would crush the leaves, draw forth
their fine aromatic flavour in her hands, and then inhale their fragrance
with delight.
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