NORTHERN OCEAN. 
another bargain for her; and as fhe was what 
iff 
1771. 
may be called a valuable woman in their eftima- ——~ 
tion; that is, one who was not only tolerably per- 
fonable, but reckoned very fkilful in manufac- 
turing the different kinds of leather, fkins, and 
furrs, and at the fame time very clever in the per- 
formance of every other domeftic duty required 
of the fex in this part of the world; Matonabbee 
was more unwilling to part with her, efpecially as 
he had fo lately fuffered a lofs of the fame kind. 
’ This difpute, which was after fome hours de- 
cided by words and prefents, had like to have 
proved fatal to my expedition ; for Matonabbee, 
who at that time thought himfelf as great a man 
as then lived, took this affront fo much to heart, 
efpecially as it was offeredin my prefence, that he 
almoft determined not to proceed any farther to- 
ward the Copper-mine River, and was on the 
point of firiking off to the Weftward, with an 
intent tojoin the Athapufcow Indians, and conti- 
nue withthem: he being perfectly well acquaint- 
ed with all their leaders, and moft of the princi- 
pal Indians of that country, from whom, during 
a former refidence among them of feveral years, 
he faid he had met with more civility than he 
ever did from his own countrymen. As Mato- 
nabbee feemed refolutely bent on his defign, I 
had every reafon to think that my third expediti- 
on would prove equally unfuccefsful with the two 
former. 1 was not, however, under the leaf 
apprehenfion for my own fafety, as he promifed 
to 
May, 
