Travels through the states of North America and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797

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356 TR \VELS THROUGH UPPER CANADA: l1n ps, leave us in the ' him f moment to !11 i ft for our fc h .,.. in the \. ·c~e:,, ~ ~ a fttu~ltion we h. d no \dire to fcc ourfdn~s rcdu ctl to; '· e c.ct r1.1i.1 · i th ' r · {~Ht.: to pro ced by Prcfqu' Hlc. 13 1t no.v <lnotb 'I' li ,1icu ty :uo (·, 11amcly, how we were to ge t there : a Jinall VL 1d, :'.. ' ·ry t·:•u(u 1l cutnfbn e ind c l, w.1s juil ~\bout to :f:til, but it w.ts fo crow•: d \.'ith paf1cngc rs, that th en~ was not a firwlc birth v.tc.ult, and J'1(lfCu ·e r, if tb TC h:lll been, we di l not w i{h to 1c part fo u hru }l t 1y from t hi:; p.ttt of the country. ( n.; or the principal tr"tl.-r~, ho-.\·ev T, at D:.:troit, II) whom we h·ul c.uril 1 Jetter!', :i~JOn accommo.L tcd m.:ttcrs to l)\lr Ctti J '~tio n, by 1ncmiilw•· to pive orders to the m,lfl. T f one of th~.: L 1 <' Vt !1' Is, o[.- o~ l..' which he was i11 p rt o .rn.:r, to land us at tLat place. Th..: v 'JJd \;,1 to t 1il in a f(Jrtn:r;ht · wc immc 1iatcly th ·rcfurc [<.' ·urcd il}):t(L 'e in l1cJ, '- ' ' at d h<winz f·tr cd w'tb the mafl:t.T tl at h· flwulcl all fur ns at l\1a1Jcn) we [et off nc ~ more ~ r that pl.1ce in our little boat, and in a · ·w 1 Qurs, from tl e time we qui ted Det ·o~t, arrived thcr '. LET TEl X~ XIV. Pn:Ji:nts delivered to the Iud,~ms on the Part of t/J~· Britlfo GoverlllllL'tlt.­Mode qf dijlrituLing tl.mn.-Ra!fons 'i.OI.'J !!Jvm.-if/bat jj· the be;f ]v[cthod q/' conciliating the good tf/dhf th; lndiam.-Lt'ttle jlaim tatwz by tbe Amcri~·ans to k,·1p 11f' a good Unt ajl(mdtizrr 'lcitb tbe Indialls.­Co;([ er;u ·nccs tb,·rcqj:-1/'ar l·ct·zo fG'n tbe Americans and Ltdians.-A lriq' Accozmt qf it .-PI'tlce conc!udccl by Ceneml JYaync.-!{ot !if:,•ly to 1't'JIW ill perilla nell t .-If 'hJ'.-ltJdiall Mcm th'l' qf makillg P ,•a c.: dtj .. :rir)~d. M.tldcn, Oflobtr. AD J 0 IN IN G to our friend's houfc at Malden fbnd · an ex: ... tcnfi ve rnnge of fior ·honfcs, for the reception of the pnJuJtS yearly mac c by govcmment to the Indians in this part f the country, in which f vet 11 (. ct ks arc 1 t·pt conftantly employed. Bcfol(.: ,,.c; had been long at Mal 1 n we had an opportunity of feeing fome of thc prc-fcnts I N J) I A N PRF S E T S. 3 5-7 fi.· nts dclivcrccl u t · 1\ Jllt i >e r o f c1 1 ·1 d·s of · ditTt.:rcnt tribe had prc- V t ~t·Oy come to Ollf friend, who is at th!.! hC';td of the ckp.utn en t in tlu.; qua rtl'r, anJ iJJd g iven to him, each, :1. hundl' cf little bits r cedar W~>od , abott t the thickn d~ c,f a fi11all F ocket boo!- pencil, to rcmimll1it ol the L'Xa(t J1U ,1Jber of illdividuaJs in e.tch trib' th at CXJ cctcd tO fl1an.: the bounty of their r•rt:;tt f.tt hcr. The fiich in tl e!t; btmd l s wen; of dil1cn.:nt l· ngths, tk: knrdl: denoted the nu mh1 r of warri :-s in th<.: tribe, the next in flu the numb r f women, nn•i the final!d1: the num­h'J' of hiluru1. Our friend on r ce iving tl em iwHlcd th em over to his cle rk , who made a m ·morandum in the ir bo ks of the co nt··nts of ach bundlt:, ancl of the pe1 fon th at gave tb ·m, in order to prep.tn.: the prclents a cord ingly. The day fi xed upon for the delivery of the pre-· fents was bri ght aJHi fair, and being in <.:very refpeCl: fav ourable fvr the purpofc, the clerks beaan to make the.: n cdhry arr:wgem nts accord ~ l!Jgly. A number of large (fakes were firO: fixed down in difli-rcnt narts of ' the lawn, to each of' which w,1s n.ttacheJ n. labcl, with the name of the tribe, ~ n I the numb T of pnfon in it, who were to be rroviJcd for ; then were brought out from the fl:orcs fcvcral lnlcs of thick blankets, of blue, fcarlet, ~nd brown cloth, and of co:-t J'fc .fi3ttred ottom, together with hrge rolls of toh.1cco, gun s, flints, po vdcr, ba!J ~, fhot, cafl!-kntVL'S, ivory and horn combs, lo king-glafE:s, pipe-tomaha\\ l~s, hatchets, fcitlars, need es, v rmil ion in hag , copper an I ir n pots and kettle ., the who!<.: v.1lncd at abou t £. 500 fierling . The b.llc' of r-;uods bcin opened, the blankets, cloth , and otton were cut u? into ftnal l piece , each fufl-icicnt to ma!·e for one perfon :1 wrapp.:r, a fhirt, a pair of Jcg­trings, r whatever <.: lfe it wa intl.!nded for; and tit portions of the dif­fTcnt articles i11tcndcd for ·ach tribe were thown t(lgctlwr in a heap, at the bottom f the ibke whi h bore its name. This huiln..:D; took up fcvcral honrs, ns th<.re were no lds than fi,ur hu ndred and twenty Ia­dians to be fcrved. N >liquor, nor allY filv cr ornaments, ex ept to frtvomitt: chiefs in private, arc ever given on the 1 <lrt of ("' overnmcnt to the Indmns, n twit hfl:anc ing they arc fo fo d of both; ami a trader who at ·lllpts to give thcf' articles to them in e>..change for tht: pr fcnts tl ·y have