to sign the treaty.

With a view therefore to avoid a recurrence of any such question we
asked the Indians, as a first step, to agree among themselves in
selecting their Chiefs and then to present them to us and have
their names and authority recorded.

Furthermore, the Indians seem to have false ideas of the meaning
of a reserve. They have been led to suppose that large tracts of
ground were to be set aside for them as hunting grounds, including
timber lands, of which they might sell the wood as if they were
proprietors of the soil.

I wished to correct this idea at the outset.

Mr. Simpson followed me with some observations in the same strain,
after which the Indians retired to select their Chiefs and
spokesmen.

On Friday morning the Chiefs and spokesmen were duly presented,
and after their names were recorded, the Indians were invited to
express their views.

After some delay they stated that there was a cloud before them
which made things dark, and they did not wish to commence the
proceedings till the cloud was dispersed.

On inquiring into their meaning, I found that they were referring
to some four of their number who were prisoners in gaol. It seems
that some Swampy Indians had entered into a contract with the