circumstances, who dwelt opposite to the village, having learned the
advantageous terms obtained by the petty traders from the Company,
addressed a very polite note to Mr. Fisher, stating his intention to
try his fortune as a trader, but that he would have no objection to
postpone the attempt for five years, provided the Company would allow
him 150l. per annum, during that period. The proposal was submitted to
Mr. Thane, who laconically replied, "Let him do his worst, and be...."
Accordingly, St. Julien immediately commenced operations. He hired one
end of an Indian house, which he fitted up as a trader's shop: Fisher
hired the other end. St. Julien then removed to another: Fisher
occupied the other end of that house also. St. Julien next rented a
_whole_ house: Fisher purchased a house, placed it upon rollers, and
wheeled it directly in front of that of his rival, rearwards, scarcely
leaving sufficient room for one person to pass between the premises.
This caused great amusement to the Indians; not so to St. Julien, who
had not anticipated so excessive a desire on the part of any of the
Company's officers for so close an intimacy; and at the end of six
weeks he took his departure without pay or pension from the Company.

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