122 EXPEDITION TO THE 



holding a boy so nearly of the age of that \vliich she had 

 lost. 



By these Indians young Tanner was treated with 

 kindness; he rose to manhood, became distinguished as a 

 brave man and a hunter. From circumstances which we 

 have not ascertained, his adopted parents, who belonged 

 to the Saganaw tribe of the Ottawa nation, removed to a 

 more western country ; the man died ; his wife became the 

 leader of a small party that resided occasionally on the 

 Lake of the Woods, or on Red river, or the Assiniboin. 

 Tanner was offered the situation of chief, which he wise- 

 ly declined, judging that his white origin would make him 

 an object of suspicion. He appeared satisfied with his suc- 

 cess as a hunter, and had no further ambition. We were 

 told by those who had long known him, that although he 

 had acquired many of the characteristics of Indians, still 

 he had some peculiarities which marked him as one of a 

 different origin. He had never been seen to taste of ardent 

 spirits, or to smoke a pipe. Instead of purchasing trifles 

 and gewgaws as is customary with Indians, he devoted the 

 produce of his hunts, which were always successful, to the 

 acquisition of articles of clothing useful to himself, to his 

 adopted mother, or to her relations. In this state he ap- 

 pears to have lived perfectly happy, respected and esteem- 

 ed by all his fellow hunters. In the year 1816, he ren- 

 dered an important service to Lord Selkirk's settlement, 

 by guiding a party of new settlers, who were under the 

 direction of Governor M'Donnell and Captain D'Orson- 

 nen from Rainy Lake to Fort Douglas ; this reinforce- 

 ment arrived at so timely a moment as to make Tanner a 

 great favourite at the settlement. He was pointed out to 

 Lord Selkirk during that nobleman's visit to his colony. 

 His Lordship took great interest in his situation, and by 



