Volume 1

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196 FIRST ARRIVAL OF ASSINIBOINES.
Cadotte arrived in a small canoe, four days from Grandes
Fourches. He brought 10 beaver skins, some wild fowl,
and two kegs of high wine. 26th. Went down to meet Desmarais
at Reed river ;
got 30 beaver skins from Pickoutiss,
[one of the Red Lake Ojibways]. 2'jth. Storehouse finished.
28tJi. Desmarais' canoe arrived from Riviere aux
Gratias. Thomas Mitchel, H. B. Co., embarked en baggage
for the Forks. Melancon'^ deserted from us. Men began
to erect stockades, joth. Fire on the plains in every
direction.
Saturday, May ist. I set fire to the E. side of the river.
We sent our horses to graze in the plains on the W. side.
2d. Langlois and others came en baggage down Panbian
river in three skin canoes ;
one had upset and some property
been lost—sugar, beat meat,'* axes, etc. The current
had drawn her with such violence against a tree as to turn
her over. The river Indians are camping and all drinking
hard—men, women, and children, jd. Arrived and camped
four Assiniboines, with the Saulteurs—the first that have
come here to trade and drink. They are very suspicious of
the Saulteurs, and always on their guard with guns, bows,
and arrows in their hands. The young Saulteurs would
fain insult them during their drinking matches, but we
prevented it. 4.th. Indians all arrived. I gave them their
spring presents ; to some, clothing, to others large kegs of
mixed liquor. The chiefs were : Little Shell ; Buffalo
Nanaundeyea ; Chamanou ; Terre Grasse ; Maymiutch ;
Tabashaw ; and an Assiniboine. Total, eight chiefs "' furnished
with clothing and 10 kegs of liquor. This was
exclusive of about four kegs of mixed liquor I gave away
during the boison [drinking bout].
" This name appears in Masson's list without further specification, as that of
a voyageur N. W. Co., Lower Red r., 1804.
'^ Sic, meaning beaten meat—beef or venison, dried and pounded into shreds.
"Of the eight, six will be recognized in the list on p. 53—Nos. 9, 25, 36,
28, 40, and 2.
" Chamanou " does not figure there, but has appeared before in
Henry's text. The Assiniboine chief is nameless.