PREPARATIONS FOR DEPARTURE. 89 



the extravagant notions entertained by the In- 

 dians of our liberality ; for, too dull to compre- 

 hend the disinterested principle on which the 

 present expedition was undertaken, and viewing 

 it in the same light as the preceding ones, they 

 expected the same measure of bounty; and sunk 

 into a moody silence, when told that I had only 

 brought goods enough to satisfy the demands of 

 my hunters ; and that against them, as well as 

 the others, a strict account would be kept. 



The interpreter I had brought with me was a 

 pure Indian, — a Chipewyan, who, under the 

 auspices of the Company, had received the 

 rudiments of an education at the Red River 

 Colony. But being unaccustomed to speak his 

 native tongue, he was not altogether adapted 

 for the first introduction of a party amongst 

 Indians, many of whom but rarely visited the 

 trading establishments : — and, as much depended 

 on the information to be communicated, and per- 

 haps not less on the impression made on the 

 people by the manner of address, I requested Mr. 

 M'Donnell to lend me his interpreter, Louison, 

 who had travelled with me before, and who, from 

 his intimate acquaintance with the surrounding 

 tribes, was peculiarly well qualified for our pur- 

 pose. The inconvenience to him was consider- 

 able, yet, like the other gentlemen of the country, 

 he cheerfully acceded to my request, and a tern- 



