"The speech made a favorable impression. The chief, in reply,
thanked us for our expressions of friendship toward himself and his nation,
and declared their willingness to render us every service. He lamented
that it would be so long before they should be supplied with firearms,
but that till then they could subsist as they had heretofore done.
He concluded by saying that there were not horses enough here
to transport our goods, but that he would return to the village
to-morrow, bring all his own horses, and encourage his people to come
over with theirs. The conference being ended to our satisfaction,
we now inquired of Cameahwait what chiefs were among the party,
and he pointed out two of them. We then distributed our presents:
to Cameahwait we gave a medal of small size, with the likeness
of President Jefferson, and on the reverse a figure of hands clasped
with a pipe and tomahawk; to this was added an uniform coat,
a shirt, a pair of scarlet leggings, a carrot [or twist] of tobacco,
and some small articles. Each of the other chiefs received
a small medal struck during the presidency of General Washington,
a shirt, handkerchief, leggings, knife, and some tobacco.
Medals of the same sort were also presented to two young warriors,
who, though not chiefs, were promising youths and very much respected
in the tribe. These honorary gifts were followed by presents
of paint, moccasins, awls, knives, beads, and looking-glasses.
We also gave them all a plentiful meal of Indian corn, of which
the hull is taken off by being boiled in lye; as this was the first
they had ever tasted, they were very much pleased with it.
They had, indeed, abundant sources of surprise in all they saw -
the appearance of the men, their arms, their clothing, the canoes,
the strange looks of the negro, and the sagacity of our dog,
all in turn shared their admiration, which was raised to astonishment
by a shot from the air-gun.
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