1812. 
FURTHER DISPUTES RESPECTING THE GUN. 
415 
ammunition. In his eagerness to get possession of the gun, he had 
quite forgotten the requisite accompaniments of powder and ball ; 
and now, on reflection, found that he had been in too great a haste. 
On my part, I considered the result of my attempt to obtain oxen by 
barter with beads, to be a serious disappointment ; as the prospect of 
my journey, showed me the necessity of recruiting my teams, before I 
advanced into countries where the means of obtaining any addition to 
them, might perhaps not be found. I had not been able to purchase 
more than two oxen ; and under these circumstances I gave up all 
idea of making Mattivi a present of the gun, and which, indeed, he 
had, by his fraudulent conduct, so little deserved. 
I therefore determined to accept his offer of oxen in payment ; 
and, as I began to suspect, by his bringing these two oxen as a temp- 
tation to give him ammunition before he had produced the promised 
equivalent for the gun, that he meant to leave that subject at rest 
altogether, I now asked him where were those oxen. To this he 
replied, that they should be brought on the morrow : but, instead of 
the six which he had promised before he had the musket in his pos- 
session, it was now discovered that he intended me to have only four. 
I saw that he was evidently taking advantage of the weakness of 
my party, and that he supposed I should on that account submit to 
any terms which he might propose. I foresaw, that if he succeeded 
in a first step, he would take a second, and thus advance till affairs 
became serious ; and that, if a character of non-resistance preceded 
us in the journey, every petty chieftain we should meet would know 
that he might plunder us with safety. I considered, too, that as the 
Bachapins derived from direct and indirect communication with the 
Colony, great mercantile advantages over their more northern neigh- 
bours, they would not readily be induced to forfeit these, by pro- 
ceeding to extremities with me and my party. These reasons 
convinced me that a resolute opposition to encroachment, and a 
determination not to be intimidated, were the safest and most prudent 
measures that could now be adopted. 
I therefore gave the Chief and his council to understand what 
were my sentiments respecting their present mode of dealing with a 
