Then he
turned to La Robe Noir, who said as far as Portage Laprairie.
At
this the gentlemen hummed among themselves for a little, and the end
was a question from the Earl. Is there no stream about there which you
could mention as a limit? Mahkatayihkoonayai replied - Yes, there is la
Riviere Champignon, a little beyond. The Earl said - There, that will be
the limit. Then he asked Senna the Cree Chief, who said - No, I do not
want agriculturists, I only want traders! The Earl said - Do you think
you will ever see your trader again? (referring to the North-West
Company). Never: he (the N. W. Co.) has done a bad thing - he has killed
people. The Earl added - Then you do not wish to get a load of powder, a
knife or a steel from settlers? Well, work diligently at the
furs, and you will find a trader (meaning the H. B. Co.). The nobleman
then said to me - Your turn, speak. I said - This is my place. How much
will you give me for the part between this and the Rapids? I will then
go below that. He said - a little further down, if you will. I replied -
Yes, I will give you to the bend of the river above Sugar Point. That
point I like very much - I cannot part with it - it is for my children.
This satisfied the Earl, and he said further - Fear not: the people I
plant here will not trouble your wild animals - they will merely work the
soil. If they pass beyond the two-miles limit, do not allow them: they
have no right there. At present we cannot conclude the arrangement, for
I have nothing to pay you with. Let us leave the matter as it stands. I
will come back, and then we will close the negociations. I am in a
hurry, and cannot remain longer, but I will be sure to return. I want
to go to the States and get cattle, that we may eat. That is the meat
we eat. Perhaps even you may desire to get some of our
cattle when you see them with the inhabitants here. But before I leave,
I would like to give you something in consideration of the arrangement,
which is to be made when I come back. What would you like to have? I
said - Powder is useful to Indians, and tobacco they like - rum, too,
they would fain have. We got what we asked. When we were done speaking,
the Earl said - I want you to put your names to a paper, to show in
England what we propose to do. We all said, No - wait till you come
back. He asked us again to sign, but we refused, saying it would be
time enough when the arrangement was completed. The Earl said - If your
names were down, it would be easier for me to conclude the affair when
I get back; besides, your young men would see, in the event of your
deaths, what you had proposed to do.
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