418 
CONVERSATION WITH MATTIVI. 
17 July, 
Immediately Mollemmi went to the Chief, and communicated 
this to him. They both returned together, and took their seat in the 
waggon. Mattivi commenced the conversation by saying, that I had 
made him and his people exceedingly happy by letting them have a 
gun ; that I had done more for him than any one had ever done 
before. He here repeated all the remarks which he had already made 
on this subject. He now said that he would give me the six oxen he 
had first promised ; but, as if to excuse the unfairness of his conduct, 
he assured me that he was just at this time very poor in cattle, having 
given away a great number to Massao's son, who, having been lately 
robbed of all his own, had come to him in much distress to beg relief. 
I could not ascertain whether this act of generosity which he pleaded, 
were really a fact ; but the matter is so improbable, that I always 
doubted the truth of this assertion ; especially as the plea of poverty 
must have been totally unfounded, if one might rely on common 
report for the number of large herds which he possessed. He ex- 
pressed thanks for the ammunition which I intended to give him ; and 
wished to have it on the next morning, as his people, he said, had put 
off the grand hunt until they should have obtained the gun and powder. 
I again told him how desirous I was of being always on good terms with 
him and the Bachapins, whom I had come so far to see. He answered ; 
that he should have felt very sorry if I had suddenly left his country, 
as he had hoped that I should remain a long time with them ; that it 
gave him great pleasure to observe the friendly treatment which 
many of his people received from my men, in being allowed to sit at 
their fire and partake of their meat ; that he would not have suffered 
them to importune us and trouble us as they did, but it was not in 
his power to keep them away. This last remark only served to con- 
vince me that the men who had fastened themselves upon us, and 
continued almost constantly day and night in the hut, were there 
not only by his permission, but by his orders. Tlie white-men, he 
said, were great people, but he was only a Bacliapin ; and it would 
exceedingly distress him to have their displeasure. As he had a 
great number of servants, he would order some to remain in the 
mootsi to assist us in fetching water and to go out with my hunters 
