NORTH-WEST CONTINENT OF AMERICA.

their confufion and terror, they did not appear to underftand. But
when they perceived that it was impoffible to avoid us, as we were all
danded, they made us figns to keep at a diflance, with which we com-
plied, and not only unloaded our canoe, but pitched our tents, be-
fore we made any attempt to approach them. During this interval, the
Englifh chief and his young men were employed in reconciling them
to our arrival: and when they had recovered from their alarm,
of hoftile intention, it appeared that fome of them perfeétly com-
prehended the language of our Indians; fo that they were at length
perfuaded, though not without evident figns of reluctance and appre-
henfion, to come to us. Their reception, however, foon difhipated their
fears, and they haftened to call their fugitive companions from their

hiding places.

There were five families, confifling of twenty-five or thirty perfons,
and of two different tribes, the Slave and Dog-rib Indians. We made
_ them {moke, though it was evident they did not know the ufe of tobacco ;
"we likewife fupplied them with grog; but I am difpofed to think, that
they accepted our civilities rather from fear than inclination. We ac-
quired a more effe€tual influence over them by the diftribution of knives,
beads, awls, rings, gartering, fire-fteels, flints, and hatchets; fo that they
- became more familiar even than we expetted, for we could not keep
them out of our tents: though I did not obferve that they attempted to

purloin any thing.

The information which they gave refpeéting the river, had fo much
of the fabulous, that I fhall not detail it: it will be fufficient juft
F to

33

1789.
July.
LS