NORTHERN OCEAN 145 



account for his having been guilty of such a crime, unless it be 1771. 

 by his having lived among the Southern Indians so long, as " 

 to become tainted with their blood-thirsty, revengeful, and 

 vindictive disposition. 



Early in the morning of the twenty-ninth, Captain Keel- 29th. 

 shies joined us. He delivered to me a packet of letters, and 

 a two-quart keg of French brandy ; but assured me, that the 

 powder, shot, tobacco, knives, &c. which he received at the 

 Fort for me, were all expended. He endeavoured to make 

 some apology for this, by saying, that some of his relations 

 died in the Winter, and that he had, according to their custom, 

 thrown all his own things away ; after which he was obliged to 

 have recourse to my ammunition and other goods, to support 

 himself and a numerous family. The very affecting manner 

 in which he related this story, often crying like a child, was 

 a great proof of his extreme sorrow, which he wished to 

 persuade me arose from the -recollection of his having em- 

 bezzled so much of my property ; but I was of a different 

 opinion, and attributed his grief to arise from the remembrance 

 of his deceased relations. However, as a small recompence for 

 my loss, he presented me with four [no] ready-dressed moose- 

 skins, which was, he said, the only retribution he could then 

 make. The moose-skins, though not the twentieth part of the 

 value of the goods which he had embezzled, were in reality 

 more acceptable to me, than the ammunition and the other 

 articles would have been, on account of their great use as shoe- 

 leather, which at that time was a very scarce article with us, 

 whereas we had plenty of powder and shot. 



On the same day that Keclshies joined us, an Indian man, 

 who had been some time in our company, insisted on taking 

 one of Matonabbee's wives from him by force, unless he com- 

 plied with his demands, which were, that Matonabbee should 

 give him a certain quantity of ammunition, some pieces of 

 iron-work, a kettle, and several other articles ; every one of 

 which, Matonabbee was obliged to deliver, or lose the woman ; 



K 



