TEEATY AT LESSEE SLAVE LAKE 53 



took place, and we were speedily surrounded by a bustling 

 crowd, putting up trading tents and shacks, dancing booths, 

 eating-places, etc., so that with the motley crowd, including 

 a large number of women and children, and a swarm of dogs 

 such as we never dreamt of, amounting in a short space by 

 constant accessions to over a thousand, we were in the heart 

 of life and movement and noise. 



Mr. Eoss, as already stated, had gone on by trail from 

 Edmonton, partly in order to inspect it, and managed to 

 reach the lake before us, which was fortunate, since Indians 

 and half-breeds had collected in large numbers, and he was 

 thus able to allay their irritation and to distribute rations 

 pending the arrival of the other members of the Commis- 

 sion. During the previous winter, upon the circulation in the 

 North of the news of the coming treaty, discussion was rife, 

 and every cabin and tepee rang with argument. The wiseacre 

 was not absent, of course, and agitators had been at work for 

 some time endeavouring to jaundice the minds of the people 

 — half-breeds, it was said, from Edmonton, who had been 

 vitiated by contact with a low class of white men there — and, 

 therefore, nothing was as yet positively known as to the tem- 

 per and views of the Indians. But whatever evil effect these 

 ta'mperings might have had upon them, it was felt that a 

 plain statement of the proposals of the Government would 

 speedily dissipate it, and that, when placed before them in 

 Mr. Laird's customary kind and lucid manner, they would 

 be accepted by both Indians and half-breeds as the best 

 obtainable, and as conducing in aU respects to their truest 

 and most permanent interests. 



On the 20th the eventful morning had come, and, for a 

 wonder, the weather proved to be calm, clear and pleasant. 

 The hour fixed upon for the beginning of negotiations was 

 two p.m., up to which time much hand-shaking had, of 

 course to be undergone with the constant new arrivals of 

 natives from the forest and lakes around. The Church of 

 England and Eoman Catholic clergy, the only missionary 



