to descant upon the treatment he had received
from the traders in his concerns with them with an asperity of language
that bore more the appearance of menace than complaint. I immediately
refused to discuss this topic as foreign to our present business and
desired Akaitcho to recall to memory that he had told me on our first
meeting that he considered me the father of every person attached to the
Expedition, in which character it was surely my duty to provide for the
comfort and safety of the Canadians as well as the Indians. The voyagers,
he knew, had a long journey to perform and would in all probability be
exposed to much suffering from cold on a coast destitute of wood, and
therefore required a greater provision of clothing than was necessary for
the Indians who, by returning immediately from the mouth of the river,
would reach Fort Providence in August and obtain their promised rewards.
Most of the Indians appeared to assent to this argument but Akaitcho
said, "I perceive the traders have deceived you; you should have brought
more goods but I do not blame you." I then told him that I had brought
from England only ammunition, tobacco, and spirits and that, being
ignorant what other articles the Indians required, we were dependent on
the traders for supplies, but he must be aware that every endeavour had
been used on our parts to procure them, as was evinced by Mr. Back's
journey to Fort Chipewyan. With respect to the ammunition and tobacco we
had been as much disappointed as themselves in not receiving them, but
this was to be attributed to the neglect of those to whom they had been
entrusted. This explanation seemed to satisfy him. After some minutes of
reflection his countenance became more cheerful and he made inquiry
whether his party might go to either of the trading posts they chose on
their return, and whether the Hudson's Bay Company were rich, for they
had been represented to him as a poor people? I answered him that we
really knew nothing about the wealth of either Company, having never
concerned ourselves with trade, but that all the traders appeared to us
to be respectable. Our thoughts I added are fixed solely on the
accomplishment of the objects for which we came to the country. Our
success depends much on your furnishing us with provision speedily, that
we may have all the summer to work and, if we succeed, a ship will soon
bring goods in abundance to the mouth of the Copper-Mine River. The
Indians tal