STATE VISIT OF ASSINIBOINES. 81 



be left to sleep in peace. Atahk-akoohp, however, 

 discovering that all his audience had departed, v^ith 

 the exception of Treemiss, who appeared to be sound 

 asleep, proceeded to arouse the latter by digging him 

 in the ribs, repeating the operation through the night, 

 as often as his victim showed any want of attention 

 to his tuneful efforts. • 



In landing on the ice on the south side, two 

 unfortunate fellows broke through, and plunged over- 

 head in the water. They were soon rescued, but their 

 clothes instantly froze as stiff as boards, and they had 

 a most ludicrous appearance as they walked shivering 

 and covered with ice, SAvinging their legs stiffly as if 

 partially paralysed, the rigid case in which they were 

 enclosed preventing flexure of the knee joints. A 

 party had come into the Fort from Eed Eiver, but had 

 brought no letters for any of our pai-ty. We had as 

 yet received none since leaving England. Some old 

 newspapers furnished a little intelligence of the outer 

 world, containing, amongst other things, the news of 

 the massacre of the whites in Minnesota by the Sioux 

 — ^the first knowledge we had of the horrors we had 

 somewhat narrowly escaped. 



A short time before Cheadle's visit, Mr. Lillie 

 had been surprised by a band of 300 Assiniboines, 

 arrayed in gayest dress and full paint, who marched 

 up to the Fort in solemn procession. After the 

 calumet had been duly passed round, and proper 

 presents made, the chief arose, and, in a complimentary 

 speech, expressed the delight with which they had 

 received the news that the Company had come to a 



G 



