82 • NARRATIVE, &c. 



which had possessed itself of facts, and was capable of reason- 

 ing from them. His manners were grave and dignified, and his 

 oratory such as to render him popular with his tribe. 



During the repast, the room became filled with Indians, ap- 

 parently the relatives and intimate friends of the chief, who 

 seated themselves orderly and silently around the room. When 

 we arose, the chief assumed the oratorical attitude, and addres- 

 sed himself to me. 



He expressed his regret that I had not been able to visit them 

 the year before, when I was expected.* He hoped I had now 

 come, as I came by surprise, to remain some days with them. 

 He said, they lived at a remote point, and were involved in 

 wars with their neighbors, and wished my advice. They were 

 not insensible to advice, nor incapable of following it. They 

 were anxious for counsel, and desirous of living at peace, and 

 of keeping the advice which had heretofore been given them. 

 They had been told to sit still on their lands, but their enemies 

 would not permit them to sit still. They were compelled to get 

 up, and fight in self defence. The Sioux continued to kill their 

 hunters. They had killed his son, during the last visit he had 

 made to my office. They had never ceased to make inroads. 

 And he believed there were white men among them, who stir- 

 red them up to go to war against the Chippewas. He named 

 one person particularly. 



It was necessary, he continued, to take some decisive steps 

 to put a stop to these inroads. This was the reason why he 

 had led out the war party, which had recently returned. This 

 was the reason why I saw the stains of blood before me. 



He alluded, in the last expression, to the flags, war clubs, and 

 medals, which decorated one end of the room, all of which had 

 vermilion smeared over them to represent blood. I replied, 

 that I would assemble the Indians at a general council, at my 



* It has been stated in the " Preliminary Observations," that it became inu 

 practicable to visit these bands, during the expedition of 1831. 



