BOURGEOIS - Toronto Public Library

JOURNAL 175
and to meet us without arms, at the same time he strongly
recommended to us to be on our guard.
Having shaved ,ve dressed in our best apparel and resumed
our march, followed by our retinue of yesterday, but which
had recruited as we went along. Having halted, one of the
strangers took onr interpreter's gun through curiosity, and,
while examining it, raised the cock and touched the trigger;
one of our men having observed him in time, threw up the
muzzle as the shot was going off and thus saved the lives of
some Natives who otherwise would have received the contents;
such misfortune would have at once put an end to our journey
and perhaps to our lives.
When we came to the Forks, the chief men, dressed in their Otlicial ret
f '1 d d . d k d' coption by
coa s a mal, a vance to meet us III or er to -now our IS- the Askct-
positions before we conld be admitted into their camp. Our tibs.
Chief harangued them in his own language; they answered
him in theirs, and we were obliged to employ three interpreters
on the occasion to settle the affair. These ambassadors are of
the Askettih nation; they looked manly and had really the
appearance of warriors. They seemed to speak with a fluency
which attracted a kind of attention indicative of applause, and
our Chief conveyed our sentiments and wishes with great
animation. He assured the Ash:ettih nation that we ,vere good
people and had nothing to do with the quarre13 of Indian
nations.
When the conference was over, the ambassadors returned to
their camp, running as fast as their legs could carry them. We
immediately followed and encamped on the right bank directly
opposite the village, being the best position we could find for
defence in case of necessity. The Indians, without loss of time,
began to cross over in their wooden canoes, and 1 had to shake
hands with over one hundred of them, while the Old Chief was
haranguing them abollt our good qualities, wishing, of course,