his standing, character, and sentiments from the time of my arrival in the country in the capacity of an agent; that I knew him to be friendly to the traders who visited the Upper Mississippi, desirous to keep the Indians at peace, and not less desirous to keep up friendly relations with the authorities of both the British and American governments; but that I also very well knew that whatever political influence he exerted, was not exerted to instil into the minds of the Indians sentiments favorable to our system of government, or to make them feel the importance of making them strictly comply with the American intercourse laws, &c.  I referred to the commencement of my acquaintance with him, twenty days after my first landing at St. Mary’s, and by narrating facts, and naming dates and particulars, endeavored to convince him that I had not been an indifferent observer of what had passed both within and without the Indian country.  I also referred to recent events here, to which I attributed an application to trade, which he had not thought proper or deemed necessary to make in previous years.

[Footnote 55:  A paper; any written or printed document.]

[Footnote 56:  This is one of the modern modes of getting goods into the country in contravention of law, Mr. Ermatinger being a foreigner trading on the Canadian side of the river.]

I concluded by telling him that he would see that it was impossible, in conformity with the principles I acted upon, and the respect which I claimed of Indians for my counsels, to grant his request.

11th.  Guelle Plat came to take leave preparatory to his return.  He expressed his sense of the kindness and respect with which he had been treated, and intimated his intention of repeating his visit to the Agency during the next season, should his health be spared.  He said, in the course of conversation, that “there was one thing in which he had observed a great difference between the practice of this and St. Peter’s Agency. There whisky is given out in abundance; here I see it is your practice to give none.”

12th.  Invested Oshkinahwa (the Young Man of the totem of the Loon of Leech Lake), with a medal.

15th.  Issued provisions to the family of Kussepogoo, a Chippewyan woman from Athabasca, recently settled at St. Mary’s.  It seems the name by which this remote tribe is usually known is of Chippewa origin (being a corruption of Ojeegewyan, a fisher’s skin), but they trace no affinity with the Chippewa stock, and the language is radically different, having very little analogy either in its structure or sounds.  It is comparatively harsh and barren, and so defective and vague in its application that it even seems questionable whether nouns and verbs have number.