302 AN INDIAN'S OPINION &c. 



Just about this same time there was a half- 

 breed Indian named David Picard, a distant 

 relative of the Picards of Lorette who had gone 

 out with a surveying party some time before, 

 and had been paid by them with a cheque, which 

 was as good as gold. Picard had tried to change 

 it, but as no one whom he had asked, had the 

 necessary cash, they had refused, and he there- 

 fore suspected that this was because the cheque 

 was no good. Like everyone else in the place, he 

 knew of the arrival of the Governor- General and 

 thought this was his chance. On the second morn- 

 ing, as we were walking up to the river, we saw 

 Picard coming with the evident intention of in- 

 tercepting us. When Lord Dufferin felt quite 

 sure of this he stopped. "Bonjour," says David. 

 Lord Dufferin returned his salute. "Conte done, 

 c'est toi gouvernail" said David in bad French; 

 equivalent to "Look here, are you the rudder" ? 

 In the Montagnais language, Governor is ' 'tequi- 

 gan," the literal translation of which in French 

 is gouvernail, rudder. 



Lord Dufferin looked puzzled and asked me 

 what he wanted. 



I said, "He wants to know if you are the Gov- 

 ernor-General." 



Politely raising his cap, the Governor- General 

 said, "I have that honor." 



f 'Well, look here," said Picard, "I have been 

 employed on some of your work and been paid 



