AT THE COUNCIL. 63 



I attended the meeting in the evening, which was held round 

 a circle of fires, the chiefs and soldier Indians sitting two and 

 three deep round the circle, the younger men being in the 

 middle keeping up the fires. 



The first speeches were all about their differences with the 

 Company, till one of the Indians pointing to me reminded 

 them of their having sent for me ; and then one of the younger 

 chiefs rose and began what Badger told me was a speech 

 against white men not belonging to the Company killing game, 

 especially buffalo, in their territory ; he was very moderate and 

 calm about it, but he was followed by an old Assineboine chief, 

 whose name I remember was " Big Vulture/' who was by no 

 means calm ; in fact he worked himself up into such a rage 

 that he several times shook his fist at me, and slapped his knife 

 meaningly. His speech had a bad effect, Indians being very 

 easily roused by a man who is eloquent. On his sitting down 

 I rose, Badger putting what I said into the Cree language. I 

 began by saying, That I was a stranger from a very distant 

 land across the big water ; that I had there heard of the noble 

 Red Man and had come to visit him, bringing him many presents, 

 some of which I had now with me. That I had only shot what 

 game I had wanted for food ; and that during the summer I 

 had only killed thirteen buffaloes, several of which were old 

 bulls, and therefore useless. I then said that the " Great 

 White Mother " (as they always call the Queen) took a great 

 interest in her Red children ; and that I should go back and say 

 how kind they had always been to me. Here I was interrupted 

 very rudely by a young Indian sitting near me, who wanted to 

 know whether I had brought presents for all of them. Of 

 course I was obliged to say that I had not, on which he worked 



