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 talked together for a short time after this conversation and then the leader made an application for two or three kettles and some blankets to be added to the present to his young men; we were unable to spare him any kettles but the officers promised to give a blanket each from their own beds.

Dinner was now brought in and relieved us for a time from their importunity.  The leading men as usual received each a portion from the table.  When the conversation was resumed the chief renewed his solicitations for goods, but it was now too palpable to be mistaken that he aimed at getting everything he possibly could and leaving us without the means of making any presents to the Esquimaux or other Indians we might meet.  I resolved therefore on steadily refusing every request and, when he perceived that he could extort nothing more, he rose in an angry manner and, addressing his young men, said:  “There are too few goods for me to distribute; those that mean to follow the white people to the sea may take them.”

This was an incautious speech as it rendered it necessary for his party to display their sentiments.  The guides and most of the hunters declared their readiness to go and came forward to receive a portion of the present which was no inconsiderable assortment.  This relieved a weight of anxiety from my mind and I did not much regard the leader’s retiring in a very dissatisfied mood.

The hunters then applied to Mr. Wentzel for ammunition that they might hunt in the morning and it was cheerfully given to them.

The officers and men amused themselves at prison-bars and other Canadian games till two o’clock in the morning, and we were happy to observe the Indians sitting in groups enjoying the sport.  We were desirous of filling up the leisure moments of the Canadians with amusements, not only for the purpose of enlivening their spirits but also to prevent them from conversing upon our differences with the Indians, which they must have observed.  The exercise was also in a peculiar manner serviceable to Mr. Hood.  Ever ardent in his pursuits he had, through close attention to his drawings and other avocations, confined himself too much to the house in winter, and his health was impaired by his sedentary habits.  I could only take the part of a spectator in these amusements, being still lame from the hurt formerly alluded to.