M THEOUGH THE MAjOKENZIE BASIKT 



several for having come so far, though so very old, to visit 

 them and speak to them, after which the meeting adjourned 

 until the following day. 



At three p.m. on Wednesday, the 21st, the discussion was 

 resumed by Mv. Laird, who, after a few preliminary 

 remarks, read the Treaty, which had been drafted by the 

 Commissioners the previous evening. Chief Keenooshayo 

 arose and made a speech, followed by Moostoos, both assent- 

 ing to the terms, when suddenly, and to the surprise of all, 

 the chief, who had again begjin to address the Indians, per- 

 ceiving gestures of dissent from his people, suddenly stopped 

 and sat down.. This looked critical; but, after a somewhat 

 lengthy discussion, everything was smoothed over, and the 

 chief and head men entered the tent and signed the Treaty 

 after the Commissioners, thus confirming, for this portion 

 of the country, the great Treaty which is intended to cover 

 the whole northern region up to the sixtieth parallel of north 

 latitude. The satisfactory turn of the Lesser Slave Lake 

 Treaty, it was felt, would have a good efPect elsewhere, and 

 that, upon hearing of it at the various treaty points to the 

 west and north, the Indians would be more inclined to 

 expedite matters, and to close with the Commissioner's 

 proposals.* 



The text of the Treaty itself, which may be of interest to 

 the reader, will be found in full in the Appendix, page 471. 



The first and most important step having been taken, the 

 other essential adhesions had now to be effected. To save 

 time and wintering in the country, the Treaty Commission 

 separated, Messrs. Ross and McKenna leaving on the 22nd 



♦The foregoing report of the Treaty discussions Is necessarily 

 mucli abridged, being simply a transcript of brief notes taken at the 

 time. The utterances particularly of Keenooshayo, but also of his 

 brother, were not mere harangues addressed to the " groundlings," 

 but were grave statements marked by self-restraint, good sense and 

 courtesy, such as would have done no discredit to a well-bred 

 white man. They furthered affairs greatly, and in two days the 

 Treaty was discussed and signed, in singular contrast with treaty- 

 making on the plains in former years. 



