At eleven Akaitcho 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 the rum formerly sent to him, the smallness of the present now offered, and the want of the chief’s clothing, which he had been accustomed to receive at Fort Providence every spring.  He concluded by refusing to receive the goods now laid before him.