198 TRAVELS THROUGH LQWE& CANADA. 
sterling, on an average, per annum. When we 
first gained possession of Canada, the expence 
of the presents was much greater, as the In¬ 
dians were then more numerous, and as it was 
• . 
also found necessary to bestow upon them, in¬ 
dividually, much larger presents than are now 
given, in order to overcome the violent pre¬ 
judices against us which had been instilled into 
their minds by the, French. These prejudices 
having happily been removed, and the utmost 
harmony having been established between them 
and the people on our frontiers, presents of a 
less value even than what arc now distributed 
amongst them would perhaps be found suffi¬ 
cient to keep up that good understanding 
which now subsists between us; it could not, 
however, be deemed a very advisable measure 
to curtail them, as long as a possibility remain¬ 
ed that the loss of their friendship might be 
incurred thereby; and, indeed, when we con¬ 
sider what a ha,ppy and numerous people the 
Indians w ere before Europeans intruded them¬ 
selves into the territories allotted to them by 
nature; when we consider how many thou¬ 
sands have perished in battle, embroiled in our 
contests for power and dominion, and how 
many thousands more have perished by the use 
of the poisonous beverages which we have in¬ 
troduced amongst them; w hen we consider 
how many artificial wants have been raised in 
