Of the sun and, being
at a loss to assign any other cause for it, she resolved on going up to
the shining object and then found the hill was entirely composed of
copper. She broke off several pieces and, finding it yielded so readily
to her beating, it occurred to her that this metal would be very
serviceable to her countrymen if she should find them again. While she
was meditating on what was to be done the thought struck her that it
would be advisable to attach as many pieces of copper to her dress as she
could and then proceed into the interior in search of some inhabitants
who, she supposed, would give her a favourable reception on account of
the treasure she had brought.
It happened that she met her own relations and the young men, elated with
the account she had given of the hill, made her instantly return with
them, which she was enabled to do, having taken the precaution of putting
up marks to indicate the path. The party reached the spot in safety but
the story had a melancholy catastrophe. These youths, overcome by excess
of joy, gave loose to their passions and offered the grossest insults to
their benefactress. She powerfully resisted them for some time and, when
her strength was failing, fled to the point of the mountain as the only
place of security. The moment she had gained the summit the earth opened
and ingulphed both herself and the mountain to the utter dismay of the
men who were not more astonished at its sudden disappearance than
sorrowful for this just punishment of their wickedness. Ever since this
event the copper has only been found in small detached pieces on the
surface of the earth.
...
On the 10th of May we were gratified by the appearance of spring though
the ice remained firm on the lake. The anemone (pulsatilla, pasque
flower) appeared this day in flower, the trees began to put forth their
leaves, and the mosquitoes visited the warm rooms. On the 17th and 18th
there were frequent showers of rain and much thunder and lightning. This
moist weather caused the ice to waste so rapidly that by the 24th it had
entirely disappeared from the lake. The gentlemen belonging to both the
Companies quickly arrived from the different posts in this department,
bringing their winter's collection of furs which are forwarded from these
establishments to the depots.
I immediately waited on Mr. Colin Robertson, the agent of the Hudson's
Bay Company, and communicated to him, as I had done before to the several
partners of the North-West Company, our plan and the requisitions we
should have to make on each Company, and I requested of all the gentlemen
the favour of their advice and suggestions.
