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Page 11
In the course of this summer our Algonquins received a visit from a
party of Ottawas, (this tribe occupies the hunting grounds in the
vicinity of Michimmakina or Makinaw, and speaks the Sauteaux
language,) which created considerable alarm in the village, as they
came for the purpose of demanding satisfaction for the murder of one
of their tribe, which had been perpetrated two years before by an
Algonquin. The details of the atrocious deed were communicated to me
as follows. The Ottawas and Algonquins, with their families, were
proceeding in company to the Lake, in the spring of 1819, when being
encamped in the neighbourhood of the long Sault rapid, the Algonquin
sprang upon his unsuspecting companion, and cleft his skull with his
tomahawk, without the least apparent provocation; then dragging the
body to the water's edge, he cut it up into small pieces, and threw
them in. He next despatched the woman, and mutilated her body in the
same savage manner, having first committed the most horrible barbarity
on her person; (the recital of which curdled my blood; and yet our
Christianized (?) Algonquins laughed heartily on hearing it!) The
demon in human form, with the yet reeking tomahawk raised over the
heads of his wife and children, made them swear that they would never
divulge the horrid deed; but they did disclose it; and it was from the
wife the tale of horror was elicited. The object of the Ottawas was
not revenge. Compensation to the full estimated value of the lives of
a man and woman was all they demanded; and that they received to an
amount that far exceeded their expectations. Had the murderer been in
the village the chiefs declared they would have given him up; but they
had already delivered him over to the proper authorities, and he was
then in prison waiting his sentence.
It has been already mentioned, that the Company had assumed the
outstanding debts of the petty traders. When the accounts were closed
this autumn, the aggregate amount of liabilities due to the Company
exhibited the enormous sum of seventy-two thousand dollars--not a
shilling of that sum has ever been repaid.
Soon after the departure of the natives for the interior, I was
notified of my appointment to the charge of the Chats post. My friend
Mac also received marching orders; and after parting with him I took
leave of the Lake of Two Mountains on the 20th of August.
CHAPTER V.
ARRIVAL AT THE CHATS--INSTALLED AS BOURGEOIS--FIRST TRADING
EXCURSION--BIVOUAC IN THE WOODS--INDIAN BARBARITY.
I ARRIVED at the Chats on the 26th of August, 1822. As we approached
the establishment, the crew struck up a song which soon attracted the
notice of its only inmate; a tall gaunt figure, who was observed
moving toward the landing-place, where it remained stationary. With
the exception of this solitary being, no sign of animation was
perceptible. We landed, and found the recluse to be the gentleman whom
I was to succeed. The men belonging to the post were at the time
employed elsewhere; fire-arms were therefore discharged, to summon
them to return. An old interpreter and two men, constituting the force
at this station, soon made their appearance. Such an uncommon event as
an _arrival_ seemed to produce an exhilarating effect upon them.
Immediately after my landing the charge was made over to me; and on
the following day my predecessor, Mr. Macdonald, took his departure,
leaving me to the fellowship of my own musings, which for a time
assumed but sombre hues; but I was then young, and the hopes and
aspirations of an ardent mind threw a halo around the gloomy path that
lay before me, and resting upon the bright spots that glimmered in the
distant background, concealed from my view the toils and miseries I
had to experience in the intermediate passage.
On assuming the responsibility of this post, I found myself in a
position which gratified my vanity. I was Bourgeois of the Chats; had
an interpreter and two men subject to my orders; and could make such
arrangements as my own inclinations dictated, without the surveillance
of a superior. I was, in fact, master of my own time and of my own
actions; could fiddle when I pleased, and dance when I had a mind with
my own shadow; no person here dared to question my actions.
About the beginning of September the natives began to pass for the
interior, and to my great surprise appeared to be in want of further
supplies, although they had left the Lake amply provided with
everything necessary. Some of them took advances here again to a
considerable amount. I learned from them that a petty trader who had
just then sprung into existence, intended to establish a couple of
posts in the interior of the district--(this post being subject to the
Lake of Two Mountains.) This was rather an unpleasant piece of
intelligence, and quite unexpected by my superiors or myself. I
despatched a messenger to head-quarters to give the alarm, and was
soon joined by a reinforcement of men conducted by a junior clerk and
an interpreter. Preparations were then made to follow up this new
competitor the moment he appeared. He did not allow us to remain long
in suspense. A few days afterwards his party was observed passing in
two canoes; our people were immediately in their wake, and I remained
with but one man and the old interpreter during the winter. I had only
two Indian hunters to attend to; one in the immediate vicinity of the
post, the other about three days' journey distant. Late in autumn I
was gratified by a visit from the superintendent of the district, who
expressed himself perfectly satisfied with my arrangements. As soon as
the river _set fast_ with ice, I resolved on paying a visit to my more
remote customer, and assumed the snow-shoes for the first time. I set
out with my _only_ man, leaving the old interpreter sole occupier of
the post. My man had visited the Indian on several occasions during
the previous winter, and told me that he usually halted at a
Chantier,[1] on the way to his lodge. We arrived late in the evening at
the locality in question, and finding a quantity of timber collected
on the ice, concluded that the _shanty_ must be close at hand. We
accordingly followed the lumber-track until we reached the hut which
had formerly afforded such comfortable accommodation to my companion.
Great was our disappointment, however, to find it now tenantless, and
almost buried in snow. I had made an extraordinary effort to reach the
spot in the hope of procuring good quarters for the night, and was now
so completely exhausted by fatigue that I could proceed no further.
The night was dark, and to make our situation as cheerless as
possible, it was discovered that my companion had left his
"fire-works" behind--a proof of his inexperience. Under these
circumstances our preparations were necessarily few. Having laid a few
boughs of pine upon the snow, we wrapped ourselves up in our blankets,
and lay down together. I passed the night without much rest; but my
attendant--a hardy Canadian--kept the wild beasts at bay by his deep
snoring, until dawn. I found myself completely benumbed with cold; a
smart walk, however, soon put the blood in circulation, and ere long
we entered a shanty where we experienced the usual hospitality of
these generous folks. Here we borrowed a "smoking-bag," containing a
steel, flint, and tinder. With the aid of these desiderata in the
appointments of a voyageur, we had a comfortable encampment on the
following night.
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