204 



Harmon's journal. 



whither they wished to direct their course, and 

 W T hat their business w T as. The speaker replied, 

 that, when they left their lands, their intention 

 was to go and try to take a scalp or two from the 

 Indians of Frazer's Lake, u who," he added, " have 

 done us no injury. But we have lost a relation ; 

 and we must try to revenge his death, on some 

 one." — This is a custom common to a greater or 

 less extent to all the tribes. 



I asked him whether he supposed that we 

 supplied them with guns and ammunition, to ena- 

 ble them to destroy their fellow creatures, or to 

 kill the beaver, &c. I added, that should they, 

 in the fall, bring in an hundred scalps, they could 

 not, with them all, procure a pint of rum, or a 

 pipe full of tobacco ; but, if they would bring bea- 

 ver skins, they would be able to purchase the ar- 

 ticles which they would need. After reflecting 

 for some time on what I had said, the speaker in- 

 formed me, that they would, in compliance with 

 my advice, return and hunt the beaver ; and they 

 performed their promise, by proceeding immedi- 

 ately to their own lands. 



Monday, 29. Several days since, one of our 

 men, who remains at M c Leod's Lake, came here 

 with the information, that there were Indians 

 lurking around that fort, waiting, as was sup- 

 posed, for a favourable opportunity to attack 



