Latitude 59 degrees on the 25th of April; at Slave
Lake in latitude 61 degrees on the 1st of May; and at Fort Enterprise in
latitude 64 degrees 28 minutes on the 12th or 14th of the same month.
On the 16th a minor chief amongst the Copper Indians attended by his son
arrived from Fort Providence to consult Dr. Richardson. He was affected
with snow-blindness which was soon relieved by the dropping of a little
laudanum into his eyes twice a day. Most of our own men had been lately
troubled with this complaint but it always yielded in twenty or thirty
hours to the same remedy.
On the 21st all our men returned from the Indians and Akaitcho was on his
way to the fort. In the afternoon two of his young men arrived to
announce his visit and to request that he might be received with a salute
and other marks of respect that he had been accustomed to on visiting
Fort Providence in the spring. I complied with his desire although I
regretted the expenditure of ammunition and sent the young man away with
the customary present of powder to enable him to return the salute, some
tobacco, vermilion to paint their faces, a comb and a looking-glass.
At eleven Akaitcho arrived; at the first notice of his appearance the
flag was hoisted at the fort and upon his nearer approach a number of
muskets were fired by a party of our people and returned by his young
men. Akaitcho, preceded by his standard-bearer, led the party and
advanced with a slow and stately step to the door where Mr. Wentzel and I
received him. The faces of the party were daubed with vermilion, the old
men having a spot on the right cheek, the young ones on the left.
Akaitcho himself was not painted. On entering he sat down on a chest, the
rest placed themselves in a circle on the floor. The pipe was passed once
or twice round and in the meantime a bowl of spirits and water and a
present considerable for our circumstances of cloth, blankets, capots,
shirts, etc., was placed on the floor for the chief's acceptance and
distribution amongst his people. Akaitcho then commenced his speech but I
regret to say that it was very discouraging and indicated that he had
parted with his good humour, at least since his March visit. He first
inquired whether, in the event of a passage by sea being discovered, we
should come to his lands in any ship that might be sent? And being
answered that it was probable but not quite certain that someone amongst
us might come, he expressed a hope that some suitable present should be
forwarded to himself and nation, "for" said he, "the great Chief who
commands where all the goods come from must see from the drawings and
descriptions of us and our country that we are a miserable people." I
assured him that he would be remembered, provided he faithfully fulfilled
his engagement with us.
