THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 257 



from his tent as if it had heen infected, such is their 

 horror of those who seek to convert them. 



The deputation was formally presented to Colonel 

 Wolseley, and a great deal of talking ensued. The 

 Indians call such an interview a " pow-wow," and 

 are very fond of making long speeches at them. 

 Many of the chiefs have great oratorical powers, and 

 use much gesticulation when declaiming. They ex- 

 pressed astonishment at finding us making a road 

 through their country without having previously made 

 any treaty for their lands, and were very anxious to 

 enter upon the subject of the terms we intended pro- 

 posing for the extinction of their territorial rights. 

 These men had really no just claim to the land near 

 the bay, nor, indeed, one might say, to the land lying 

 between the hills and Lake Superior, as they never 

 hunted there ; and beyond those hills, until you 

 reached Eainy Eiver, there was no land worth mak- 

 ing a treaty about. They were told that there was 

 no intention whatever of making any arrangements 

 on the subject at present ; but that hereafter, should 

 the Canadian Government require any of their land, 

 a suitable treaty would be made, when ample justice 

 would be done them. They expressed themselves as 

 devotedly loyal to the " Great Mother " meaning the 

 Queen and anxious to assist their white brethren to 

 the utmost of their power. They were made to under- 

 stand that we merely wished for a right of way through 

 their territory, and that we had no intention of occu- 



