arrived; at the first notice of his appearance the
flag was hoisted at the fort and upon his nearer approach a number of
muskets were fired by a party of our people and returned by his young
men. Akaitcho, preceded by his standard-bearer, led the party and
advanced with a slow and stately step to the door where Mr. Wentzel and I
received him. The faces of the party were daubed with vermilion, the old
men having a spot on the right cheek, the young ones on the left.
Akaitcho himself was not painted. On entering he sat down on a chest, the
rest placed themselves in a circle on the floor. The pipe was passed once
or twice round and in the meantime a bowl of spirits and water and a
present considerable for our circumstances of cloth, blankets, capots,
shirts, etc., was placed on the floor for the chief's acceptance and
distribution amongst his people. Akaitcho then commenced his speech but I
regret to say that it was very discouraging and indicated that he had
parted with his good humour, at least since his March visit. He first
inquired whether, in the event of a passage by sea being discovered, we
should come to his lands in any ship that might be sent? And being
answered that it was probable but not quite certain that someone amongst
us might come, he expressed a hope that some suitable present should be
forwarded to himself and nation, "for" said he, "the great Chief who
commands where all the goods come from must see from the drawings and
descriptions of us and our country that we are a miserable people." I
assured him that he would be remembered, provided he faithfully fulfilled
his engagement with us.

He next complained of the non-payment of my notes by Mr. Weeks, from
which he apprehended that his own reward would be withheld. "If," said
he, "your notes to such a trifling amount are not accepted whilst you are
within such a short distance and can hold communication with the fort, it
is not probable that the large reward which has been promised to myself
and party will be paid when you are far distant on your way to your own
country. It really appears to me," he continued, "as if both the
Companies consider your party as a third company, hostile to their
interests, and that neither of them will pay the notes you give to the
Indians."

Afterwards in the course of a long conference he enumerated many other
grounds of dissatisfaction, the principal of which were our want of
attention to him as chief, the weakness of t