23 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



reports they had heard to our disadvantage. 

 They stated that Mr. Weeks, the gentleman in 

 charge of Fort Providence, had told them, that 

 so far from our being what we represented our- 

 selves to be, the officers of a great King, we were 

 merely a set of dependant wretches, whose only 

 aim was to obtain subsistence for a season in the 

 plentiful country of the Copper Indians; that, out 

 of charity, we had been supplied with a portion 

 of goods by the trading Companies, but that 

 there was not the smallest probability of our 

 being able to reward the Indians when their 

 term of service was completed. Akaitcho, with 

 great good sense, instantly came to have the 

 matter explained, stating at the same time, that 

 he could not credit it. I then pointed out to him 

 that Mr. Wentzel, with whom they had long been 

 accustomed to trade, had pledged the credit of 

 his Company for the stipulated rewards to the 

 party that accompanied us, and that the trading 

 debts due by Akaitcho and his party had already 

 been remitted, which was of itself a sufficient 

 proof of our influence with the North- West Com- 

 pany I also reminded Akaitcho, that our having 

 caused the Esquimaux to be brought up at a 

 great expense, was evidence of our future inten- 

 tions and informed him that I should write to 

 Mr. Smith, the senior trader in the department, 



