he secret of these people's object
and destination. They called at Fort Coulonge yesterday, and gave
themselves out for a party of hunters, bound for the Temiscamingue
quarter;--they are a party of Iroquois, supplied with a valuable
assortment of goods for trade, and their destination is Lac de la
Vieille, in the very centre of the Algonquin hunting-grounds."

This was a most important piece of intelligence: some of these Indians
had been supplied at Fort Coulonge, some at my post, and all of them
were deeply indebted at the Lake of Two Mountains. I passed the day
in the anxious expectation of seeing Mr. S., or at least receiving
instructions from him with reference to these people. No one coming, I
resolved to proceed to Fort Coulonge, and communicate _viva voce_ the
information I had received.

Late in the evening, I embarked in a small canoe, with two men, and
reached the Fort at early dawn; and rousing Mr. S. from his slumbers,
I at once announced the object of my visit.

"Well," said he, "this requires consideration: retire to rest, and I
shall think about it."

I retired accordingly, and slept till breakfast-time, when the subject
was discussed; and his decision was, that I should send one of the two
young men who were at my post in pursuit of the Iroquois, with
instructions to follow them up, until the season should be so far
advanced as merely to admit of his return by open water, unless the
Iroquois pitched their tent before then.

I volunteered myself to go after them with an outfit; but no; it would
be dividing our forces, thereby allowing an advantage to our more
formidable opponents; besides, we had not much to apprehend from the
Iroquois with their trifling means. "_Tres bien_," I said to myself,
and set off on my return forthwith. I of course lost no time in
executing the orders I had received. My bourgeois had his opinion of
the matter, and I had mine; I knew that the Iroquois, when left to
themselves, would make their own prices for their goods, and thus,
even with the small outfit they had, fleece the Indians of the
principal part of their furs.

Among the Indians whom I had supplied, was an individual whose
advances amounted to a heavy sum. I felt extremely anxious about him,
and resolved to pay him a visit as soon as travelling was practicable;
meantime, Swanston, who had been in pursuit of the Iroquois, returned
from his disagreeable voyage on the 28th November, having learned
nothing more t