rriors were collected, and after the
customary ceremony of taking off the moccasins and smoking a pipe, we
explained to them in a long harangue the purposes of our visit, making
themselves one conspicuous object of the good wishes of our government,
on whose strength as well as its friendly disposition we expatiated. We
told them of their dependance on the will of our government for all
future supplies of whatever was necessary either for their comfort or
defence; that as we were sent to discover the best route by which
merchandize could be conveyed to them, and no trade would be begun
before our return, it was mutually advantageous that we should proceed
with as little delay as possible; that we were under the necessity of
requesting them to furnish us with horses to transport our baggage
across the mountains, and a guide to show us the route, but that they
should be amply remunerated for their horses, as well as for every other
service they should render us. In the meantime our first wish was, that
they should immediately collect as many horses as were necessary to
transport our baggage to their village, where, at our leisure we would
trade with them for as many horses as they could spare.

The speech made a favourable impression: the chief in reply thanked us
for our expressions of friendship towards himself and his nation, and
declared their willingness to render us every service. He lamented that
it would be so long before they should be supplied with firearms, but
that till then they could subsist as they had heretofore done. He
concluded by saying that there were not horses here sufficient to
transport our goods, but that he would return to the village to-morrow,
and bring all his own horses, and encourage his people to come over with
theirs. The conference being ended to our satisfaction, we now inquired
of Cameahwait what chiefs were among the party, and he pointed out two
of them. We then distributed our presents: to Cameahwait we gave a medal
of the small size, with the likeness of president Jefferson, and on the
reverse a figure of hands clasped with a pipe and tomahawk: to this was
added an uniform coat, a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggings, a carrot of
tobacco, and some small articles. Each of the other chiefs received a
small medal struck during the presidency of general Washington, a shirt,
handkerchief, leggings, a knife, and some tobacco. Medals of the same
sort were also presented to two young warriors,