were agreed as to the propriety of an attack.  He was asked to unite with them.  He said he felt not only for the chiefs and young men, but also for the women and children, hereby expressing his dissent.  Two of the principal chiefs stood up, each holding a pipe.  He was then asked to take one of the pipes and hand it to the bravest man, giving him the power to elect the war chief.  He gave it to one he knew to be brave.

This chief had no sooner received it than he presented it to Francis, his brother, to hand it round, thereby hoping that he would not refuse to smoke the war-pipe when handed by his brother.  He took the pipe in both hands and smoked, then handed it to his brother, who also smoked it, and handed it to a chief who stood next to him, and it went round.  He said, however, after smoking, “I do not consent to go to war, I am against it.”  After some talk the council broke up, it beginning to be late.  At night he heard that some movement was on foot.  He went to the quarter of the camp indicated, and used his influence against the plan.  He had scarcely reached his tent when other reports of a like nature were brought from various parts of the camp, and he was most of the night busied in controverting the war spirit.

In the morning he made a descent through the camp, speaking openly against the meditated attack on the Sioux, and concluded by saying that for himself and the metifs, he had one thing to say, that they wished to preserve peace with all, and they should join and fight for the nation first attacked, and against whoever might raise a war-club.  About 100 Crees, however, were determined to go, and in about four hours the whole camp was broken up and dispersed.  He broke up his camp rather in anger, mounted his horse, put his family in the cart, and set out for home.  Many followed him.  Francis, not seeing his brother go, also set out, and many followed him, a greater number in fact than had followed Joseph.  At night the hunters from each party met, and they found the two parties had traveled the same distance.  On hearing this Francis sent a despatch in the morning to his brother, but they found he had departed, and, the country being a grassy plain, they could not exactly tell their course.

Meantime Joseph and his party had reached a point of woods, being the first woods seen since leaving Pembina, at about nine o’clock in the morning.  Here they encamped at this early hour.  He caught two wild geese, and told his wife to cook them.  His followers all dispersed to hunt buffalo, as they were plenty about.  He then put a new flint in his gun, and stripped himself all but his breech-cloth, and went out to explore the route he should pass on the next day.