180 Mackenzie’s Voyages

get behind, and endeavoured to pinion his arms, but was _

shaken off. At this juncture one of Mackenzie’s men
appeared on the edge of the woods, whereupon the natives
fled. In ten minutes all of his men had come up, and he
reflects that his own party might easily have been dispatched
one at a time, and not one of them would have returned to
tell the horrid fate of his companions. Mackenzie’s High-
land blood was up, and he informed his men that he was
determined to make the natives feel the impropriety of their
conduct, and compel them to return his hat and cloak which
had been taken in the scuffle. “I therefore told my men to
prime their pieces afresh, and prepare themselves for an
active use of them if the occasion should require it.”

Thus prepared they drew up in military array before the
houses and made signs for a parley. The young chief came
down and informed Mackenzie that the rascal who had
made such a nuisance of himself had told the villagers that
Mackenzie had not only ill-treated him, but had murdered
four of his companions a few days before. Mackenzie
pointed out and emphasised the falsehoods, and demanded,
as a condition of his departure, that everything which had
been purloined should be returned together with a necessary
supply of fish; the things were accordingly restored, and a
few dried fish handed over, whereupon a reconciliation was
effected, but Mackenzie thereafter refers to the place as
“Rascal’s Village.” “Iwo more salmon were brought, and
poles were furnished to enable the party to ascend the river.

But the current was so strong that it occupied four polers,
who alone were in the canoe, one hour to cover half a mile.
To increase their troubles they saw the impudent rascal
who was now an object of execration, proceeding rapidly
upstream, and apprehended further trouble from him. The
difficulty of making head against the rapid current, and an