him by repeated blows on the head with it.  The other savages, seeing the bulk of our people approaching the scene of combat, retired and crossed the river.  In the meantime, Mr. Stuart extracted the arrows from his body, by the aid of one of the men:  the blood flowed in abundance from the wounds, and he saw that it would be impossible for him to pursue his journey; he therefore gave orders for the canoes and goods to be carried back to the lower end of the portage.  Presently they saw a great number of pirogues full of warriors coming from the opposite side of the river.  Our people then considered that they could do nothing better than to get away as fast as possible; they contrived to transport over one canoe, on which they all embarked, abandoning the other and the goods, to the natives.  While the barbarians were plundering these effects, more precious in their estimation than the apples of gold in the garden of the Hesperides, our party retired and got out of sight.  The retreat was, notwithstanding, so precipitate, that they left behind an Indian from the Lake of the Two Mountains, who was in the service of the Company as a hunter.  This Indian had persisted in concealing himself behind the rocks, meaning, he said, to kill some of those thieves, and did not return in time for the embarkation.  Mr. Keith regretted this brave man’s obstinacy, fearing, with good reason, that he would be discovered and murdered by the natives.  We rowed all that day and night, and reached the factory on the 9th, at sunrise.  Our first care, after having announced the misfortune of our people, was to dress the wounds of Mr. Stuart, which had been merely bound with a wretched piece of cotton cloth.

The goods which had been abandoned, were of consequence to the Company, inasmuch as they could not be replaced.  It was dangerous, besides, to leave the natives in possession of some fifty guns and a considerable quantity of ammunition, which they might use against us.[S] The partners, therefore, decided to fit out an expedition immediately to chastise the robbers, or at least to endeavor to recover the goods.  I went, by their order, to find the principal chiefs of the neighboring tribes, to explain to them what had taken place, and invite them to join us, to which they willingly consented.  Then, having got ready six canoes, we re-embarked on the 10th, to the number of sixty-two men, all armed from head to foot, and provided with a small brass field-piece.

[Footnote S:  However, some cases of guns and kegs of powder were thrown into the falls, before the party retreated.]

We soon reached the lower end of the first rapid:  but the essential thing was wanting to our little force; it was without provisions; our first care then was to try to procure these.  Having arrived opposite a village, we perceived on the bank about thirty armed savages, who seemed to await us firmly.  As it was not our policy to seem bent on hostilities, we landed on the opposite bank, and I crossed the river