90 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



meanly, and pleaded poverty; but per- 

 ceiving that nothing more could be gained 

 by such conduct, he thought proper to show 

 some of his riches to the strangers who 

 were daily arriving. In the afternoon, 

 however, he made another, though a covert 

 attack upon us. He informed me that two 

 old men had just arrived at the encamp- 

 ment with a little pounded meat which they 

 wished to barter. It was evident that his 

 intention was merely to discover whether 

 we had any goods remaining or not. I told 

 him that we had nothing at present to give 

 for meat, however much we stood in need 

 of it, but that we would pay for it by notes 

 on the North- West Company, in any kind 

 of goods they pleased. After much artful 

 circumlocution, and repeated assurances of 

 the necessities of the men who owned the 

 meat, he introduced them, and they readily 

 agreed to give us the provision on our own 

 terms. 



I have deemed it my duty to give the 

 details of these tedious conversations, to 

 point out to future travellers, the art with 



