66 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



ever, he found it almost impossible to sleep tliat 

 night. Both men and squaws turned out continually 

 to cook meat, smoke, or beat presuming dogs, which 

 Avere seized as they rushed out of the lodge by others 

 lying in wait at the door, and a general fight ensued. 

 When morning came, he made his hosts understand 

 that he had lost his way, whereupon they saddled 

 their horses, and as if by instinct, led him straight to 

 our camp. 



We shook hands with our visitors, and inviting 

 them into the lodge, passed round the calumet, accord- 

 ing to the rules of Indian politeness. For a long time 

 they sat round with legs crossed, smoking in perfect 

 silence. At last, after some preliminary conversation, 

 the chief, a fine-looking fellow, dressed in a spangled 

 shirt, a cap covered with many-coloured ribands, and 

 an elaborately-worked medicine-bag, rose and made an 

 oration in the Cree language. He delivered himself 

 with much dignity, his gestures were graceful and easy, 

 and his speech fluent. He said, " I and my brothers 

 have been much troubled by the reports we have heard 

 from the Company's men, w^ho tell us that numbers of 

 w^hite men will shortly visit this country ; and that 

 we must beware of them. Tell me why you come here. 

 In your own land you are, I know, great chiefs. You 

 have abundance of blankets, tea and salt, tobacco and 

 rum. You have splendid guns, and powder and shot 

 as much as you can desire. But there is one thing 

 that you lack — you have no bufialo, and you come 

 here to seek them. I am a great chief also. But the 

 Grreat Spirit has not dealt with us alike. You he has 



