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quarter they get their Iron works and ornaments but they represent
the navigation beyond that Lake as unpracticable and say there are
no other Indians excepting a few of their relations that never saw
white people there about and to get Iron works they must go far
beyond it, which they perform in long journeys on foot. We cannot
imagine what River this is by their description and the course it runs
it cannot be the Columbia, and I know of no other excepting Cooks,
but whatever River it is and wherever they get these, their Iron
works and ornaments are such as I have seen with the Cassuss.!”

“Tuesday 6th May. By what we could learn from the Indians at different

times an establishment would be well placed on the big River that
falls into the main branch of the Peace River, about half way
between this and the Beaver River. This River at its confluence with
the Peace River is large an appears to contain a large quanity of
water and the Indians say it is navigable a considerable way up, and
that Beaver, Bears, and large animals of all kinds are amazing
numerous, it is thereabout is what may be properly called the
Meadow Indians or as they call themselves Les Gens du large lands.
But it is then likewise they are most subject to be killed by the Beaver
Indians of both forks and Fort Vermillion and on that account they
seldom now remain there but nine tenths of the year. But out in the
mountains where there is neither Beaver nor anything else but Badgers
and where they under go great misery, according to their reports there
is but a very short distance from that River to a branch of McKenzies
River that the Nakanés inhabit with whom they have often intercourse.
Most every one of them told us if there was a Fort on the Banks of that
Big River and if the Beaver Indians could be prevented from killing
them that they would make excellent hunts and that it was the only
good place they knew.”

“Friday, May 9th. Menard and the Indians arrived. They had a few

skins Beaver Credit ‘and traded 30 with the value of 80 skins dried
provisions and twenty on Aryenal skins. This is the band of Indians
that were attacked last summer by the Fort Vermillion Indians and
they did not see the Fort’since they were at the Beaver River two
years ago consequently they never saw this place before. Last winter
they went down within two or three days march of Beaver River but
were not at the Fort. I repremanded them severely for not coming
here last Fall and asked them the cause of not making a better, to
which they replied that they had made a few furs but that they lost
all when attacked by the Beaver Indians and that ever since they
generally kept in their lurking holes in the mountains and that they
wished to come and see white people in the Fall but did not know
where to find them, their being none at Beaver and being told that
this place was abandoned in the Spring and transferred to Tinlays

1 Carriers,