76 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



through the Indian territory; that, for our 

 part, although we had heard many stories 

 to his (Akaitcho's) disadvantage,* we dis- 

 credited them all; that the rum we had 

 sent him, being what the great men in Eng- 

 land were accustomed to drink, was of a 

 milder kind, but, in fact, stronger than what 

 he had been accustomed to receive ; and 

 that the distance we had come, and the 

 speed with which we travelled, precluded 

 us from bringing large quantities of goods 

 like the traders ; that this had been fully 

 explained to him when he agreed to accom- 

 pany us ; and that, in consideration of his 

 not receiving his usual spring outfit, his 

 debts to the Company had been cancelled, 

 and a present, much greater than any he 

 had ever received before, ordered to be got 

 ready for his return. He was further 

 informed, that we were much disappointed 

 in not receiving any dried meat from him, 

 an article indispensable for our summer 

 voyage, and which, he had led us to believe, 

 there was no difficulty in procuring ; and 

 that, in fact, his complaints were so ground- 



