Copper-Indian friends,
Keskarrah and Humpy, the brother of Akaitcho, who had been waiting two
months for the express purpose of seeing us. These excellent men showed
that their gratification equalled ours, by repeatedly seizing our hands
and pressing them against their hearts, and exclaiming, "How much we
regret that we cannot tell what we feel for you here!" Akaitcho had left
the fort about two months on a hunting excursion, hoping to return, with
plenty of provision for our use, by the middle of August, which was as
early as he thought we should arrive. Keskarrah confirmed the melancholy
report we had heard in the more southern districts, that most of the
hunters who had been in our service at Fort Enterprise, had been
treacherously murdered, with many others of the tribe, by the Dog-Ribs,
with which nation we also learned the Copper-Indians had been at war,
since the year of our departure from them, till the last spring. The
peace had been effected through the mediation of Messrs. Dease and
M'Vicar, and we were gratified to find that Akaitcho and his tribe had
been principally induced to make this reconciliation, by a desire that
no impediment might be placed in the way of our present expedition. "We
have too much esteem," said Akaitcho, "for our father, and for the
service in which he is about to be again engaged, to impede its success
by our wars, and, therefore, they shall cease;" and on being asked by
Mr. Dease whether he and some of his young men would go to hunt for the
party at our winter quarters, he replied, "Our hearts will be with them,
but we will not go to those parts where the bones of our murdered
brethren lie, for fear our bad passions should be aroused at the sight
of their graves, and that we should be tempted to renew the war by the
recollection of the manner of their death. Let the Dog-Ribs who live in
the neighbourhood of Bear Lake furnish them with meat, though they are
our enemies." Such sentiments would do honour to any state of
civilization, and show that the most refined feelings may animate the
most untutored people. Happily we were now so circumstanced as to be
able to reward the friendship of these good men by allotting from our
stores a liberal present to the principal persons. On the delivery of
the articles to Keskarrah and Humpy, I desired them to communicate to
Akaitcho, and the whole tribe, the necessity of their strictly adhering
to the terms of peace, and assured them that I should