NORTHERN OCEAN 331 



[352] sincerity of an Englishman, he added the gravity and 

 nobleness of a Turk ; all so happily blended, as to render 

 his company and conversation universally pleasing to those 

 who understood either the Northern or Southern Indian 

 languages, the only languages in which he could converse. 



He was remarkably fond of Spanish wines, though he 

 never drank to excess ; and as he would not partake of 

 spirituous liquors, however fine in quality or plainly mixed, 

 he was always master of himself. As no man is exempt from 

 frailties, it is natural to suppose that as a man he had his 

 share ; but the greatest with which I can charge him, is 

 jealousy, and that sometimes carried him beyond the bounds 

 of humanity. 



In his early youth he discovered talents equal to the 

 greatest task that could possibly be expected from an Indian, 

 Accordingly Mr. Jacobs, then Governor at Prince of Wales's 

 Fort, engaged him, when but a youth, as an Ambassador and 

 Mediator between the Northern Indians and the Athapuscow 

 Tribe, who till then had always been at war with each other. 

 In the course of this embassy Matonabbee not only discovered 

 the most brilliant and solid parts, but shewed an extensive 

 knowledge of every advantage that could arise to both nations 

 from a total suppression of hostilities ; and at times he dis- 

 played such instances of personal courage and magnanimity, as 

 are rarely to be found among persons of superior condition 

 and rank. 



[353] He had not penetrated far into the country of the 

 Athapuscow Indians, before he came to several tents with 

 inhabitants ; and there, to his great surprise, he found Captain 

 Keelshies, (a person frequently mentioned in this Journal,*) 

 who was then a prisoner, with all his family and some of his 

 friends, the fate of whom was then undetermined ; but 

 through the means of Matonabbee, though young enough 



* The same person was at Prince of Wales's Fort when the French arrived 

 on the 8th of August 1782, and saw them demolish the Fort. 



