15 

 have no right. They have been driving away the buffalo. 

 You will soon be poor and miserable if the English stay ; but 

 we will drive them away if the Indians do not, for the North- 

 west Company and the Bois-Brulds are one. If you (address- 

 ing the chief) and some of your young men will join, I shall 

 be glad." Mr. Maedonnell spoke in French, and Pangman 

 and Primeau interpreted. 



" The chief said, ' That he knew nothing about it, and 

 should not go himself ; if some of the young men went, it was 

 nothing to him, 



" Mr. Maedonnell then said : ' Well, it is no matter, we are 

 determined to drive them away, and if they make any resist- 

 ance, 3^our land shall be drenched with their blood.' 



" The next morning the Indians went away, and the party 

 drifted down the Assiniboine River to the Grand Rapids. 

 From there, about thirty started, among whom was Mr. 

 Maedonnell, Cuthbert Grant, and a number of Bois Brules. I 

 was left behind and still a prisoner, but in the evening a spare 

 horse was brought by two of them for me, and I accompanied 

 them on horseback to the North-west fort near Brandon 

 House. When I approached, I saw a crowd assembled about 

 the gate. I suppose there were from forty to fifty persons 

 assembled. Their arms were down by the gate, and as I 

 entered it a number of them presented their guns at me, 

 jiiaking use of insulting language. I complained to Mr. 

 Maedonnell of this treatment, and asked him if it was by his 

 orders, and he said he would speak to them about it, but I do 

 not think he ever did. I saw at this fort, tobacco, carpenter's 

 tools, a quantity of furs, and other things, which had been 

 brought over from Brandon House — our fort near by. 



"About the 24th or 25th of May the partj" was separated 

 into smaller divisions, and chiefs appointed. The property 

 was embarked, and the whole set off to go to Portage la 

 Prairie; a part went by water, but the Bois-Brules generally 

 M'ent by land on horseback. Having arrived at PorteCge la 

 Prairie, the whole of the pemican and packs were landed and 

 formed into a sort of breastwork or fortification, having two 



