That We Had Been Directed To Inquire Into The
Nature Of All The Productions Of The Countries We Might Pass Through And
Particularly Respecting Their Inhabitants.
That we desired the assistance
of the Indians in guiding us and providing us with food; finally that we
Were most positively enjoined by the great chief to recommend that
hostilities should cease throughout this country, and especially between
the Indians and the Esquimaux, whom he considered his children in common
with other natives and, by way of enforcing the latter point more
strongly, I assured him that a forfeiture of all the advantages which
might be anticipated from the Expedition would be a certain consequence
if any quarrel arose between his party and the Esquimaux. I also
communicated to him that, owing to the distance we had travelled, we had
now few more stores than was necessary for the use of our own party, a
part of these, however, should be forthwith presented to him; on his
return he and his party should be remunerated with cloth, ammunition, and
tobacco, and some useful iron materials, besides having their debts to
the North-West Company discharged.
The chief whose name is Akaitcho or Big-foot replied by a renewal of his
assurances that he and his party would attend us to the end of our
journey, and that they would do their utmost to provide us with the means
of subsistence. He admitted that his tribe had made war upon the
Esquimaux but said they were now desirous of peace and unanimous in their
opinion as to the necessity of all who accompanied us abstaining from
every act of enmity against that nation.
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