306 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



with the remainder of Akaitcho's band ; as also Long-legs, brother 

 to the Hook, with three of his band. There were now in the en- 





campment, thirty hunters, thirty-one women, and sixty children, 

 in all one hundred and twenty-one Indians of the Copper-Indian 

 or Red-Knife tribe. The rest of the nation were with the Hook 

 on the lower part of the Copper-Mine River. 



Anncethai-yazzeh is remarkable amongst the Indians for the number 

 of his descendants ; he has eighteen children living, by two wives, of 

 whom sixteen were at the fort at this time. 



In the evening we had another formidable conference. The 

 former complaints were reiterated, and we parted about midnight, 

 without any satisfactory answer being given to my questions, as to 

 when Akaitcho would proceed towards the River, and where he 

 meant to make provision for our march. I was somewhat pleased, 

 however, to find, that Humpy and Anncethai-yazzeh censured their 

 brother's conduct, and accused him of avarice. 



On the 26th the canoes were removed from the places where they 

 had been deposited, as we judged that the heat of the atmosphere 

 was now so great, as to admit of their being repaired without risk 

 of cracking the bark. We were rejoiced to find that two of them 

 had suffered little injury from the frost during the winter. The bark 

 of the third one was considerably rent, but it was still capable of 



being repaired. 



The Indians sat in conference in their tents all the morning ; 

 and, in the afternoon, came into the house, charged with fresh 

 matter for discussion. 



Soon after they had seated themselves, and the room was filled 

 with the customary volume of smoke from their calumets, the 

 goods which had been laid aside, were again presented to the 

 leader; but he at once refused to distribute so small a quantity 

 amongst his men, and complained that there were neither blankets, 

 kettles, nor daggers, amongst them ; and, in the warmth of his 



