OF THE POLAR SEA. 



137 



our use. The amount, indeed," he said, 

 " is very small, but I will cheerfully give 

 you what I have ; we are too much indebted 

 to the white people, to allow them to want 

 food on our lands, whilst we have any to 

 give them. Our families can live on fish 

 until we can procure more meat, but the 

 season is too short to allow of your delay- 

 ing, to gain subsistence in that manner." 

 He immediately desired, aloud, that the 

 women should bring all the meat they had 

 to us ; and we soon collected sufficient to 

 make three bags and a half of pemmican, 

 besides some dried meat and tongues. We 

 were truly delighted by this prompt and 

 cheerful behaviour, and would gladly have 

 rewarded the kindness of himself and his 

 companions by some substantial present, 

 but we were limited by the scantiness of 

 our store to a small donation of fifteen 

 charges of ammunition to each of the chiefs. 

 In return for the provision they accepted 

 notes on the North- West Company, to be 

 paid at Fort Providence ; and to these was 

 subjoined an order for a few articles of 



