288 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPOET. 



gether in a field at home when the hops have been 

 picked. 



Colonel Wolseley had several " pow-wows " with 

 those that remained. A hideous old chief named 

 Crooked-neck, from the manner in which his head 

 was set on his shoulders, was the principal speaker. 

 He was very old and very dirty, and, in the name of 

 his people, made most exorbitant demands in stating 

 the terms on which they were prepared to allow us 

 permanently to open out a route through their terri- 

 tory. There was much difficulty in making them 

 understand that the military necessities of our posi- 

 tion rendered it impossible for us to have brought 

 them up large presents, but that whatever it was 

 settled by the Government of Canada they were to 

 receive should be given to them next year. There 

 was the usual talk about loyalty to the Great Mother, 

 and of their desire to live on good terms with their 

 white brothers. They said that the passage of so 

 many boats through their waters had frightened their 

 fish, so that but little was now to be had ; and com- 

 plained of our men having at many places thrown 

 empty barrels into the rivers, which scared the pike 

 and sturgeon, alleging that even the grease from 

 these barrels had been generally destructive to fish 

 of all sorts. Some one had put this idea into their 

 heads, and there was no eradicating it. 



The costumes of these people were very grotesque, 

 and all the warriors painted their faces most fantasti- 



