THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 109 



walked to the back gate, and the number had dwindled, 

 or the account been greatly exaggerated, for there seemed 

 only fifty or sixty, and when, later, they were counted, 

 there were found to be exactly seventy. They remained 

 a long time on the hill, and sent a youth to ask for 

 whiskey. But whiskey there is none for them, and very 

 little for any one. By and by they came down the hill 

 leading four horses, and armed principally with bows and 

 arrows, spears, tomahawks, and a few guns. They have 

 proved to be a party of Crees from the British dominions 

 on the Saskatchewan River, and have been fifteen days in 

 travelling here. They had seen few Buffaloes, and were 

 hungry and thirsty enough. They assured Mr. Culbertson 

 that the Hudson's Bay Company supplied them all with 

 abundance of spirituous liquors, and as the white traders 

 on the Missouri had none for them, they would hereafter 

 travel with the English. Now ought not this subject to 

 be brought before the press in our country and forwarded 

 to England ? If our Congress will not allow our traders 

 to sell whiskey or rum to the Indians, why should not the 

 British follow the same rule.' Surely the British, who 

 are so anxious about the emancipation of the blacks, 

 might as well take care of the souls and bodies of the 

 redskins. After a long talk and smoking of pipes, to- 

 bacco, flints, powder, gun-screws and vermilion were 

 placed before their great chief (who is tattooed and has 

 a most rascally look), who examined everything minutely, 

 counting over the packets of vermilion; more tobacco 

 was added, a file, and a piece of white cotton with which 

 to adorn his head; then he walked off, followed by his 

 son, and the whole posse left the fort. They passed by 

 the garden, pulled up a few squash vines and some tur- 

 nips, and tore down a few of the pickets on their way 

 elsewhere. We all turned to, and picked a quantity of 

 peas, which with a fine roast pig, made us a capital 

 dinner. After this, seeing the Assiniboins loitering 



