down without any enquiry, tho' it could not be instituted in a more proper time the parties concerned being then present.

Capt. Scott immediately told me their determination of not submitting to a court of Enquiry, on which I remarked that it would probably end in that, and that perhaps when it would be much more expensive to Goverm' and when it would be impossible to collect the parties concerned.

I then requested as before in the morning a Copy of this Representation in order to enable me regularly to confute the charges therein contained, this I could not obtain, the Representation being withdrawn by Mess" Campion and Patterson on my return home I wrote to the Directors of the general Store requesting the favor of a copy of the representation given to Capt. Scott, relying on their candor and liberality, this they also refused-I then applied to Capt. Scott for a Court of Enquiry respecting the charges contained in the Representation that those accused might have an opportunity of proving the falsehood of their assertions and vindicate their own Characters-this Capt. Scott denied saying he would have nothing more to do in the business. I fancy an impartial person would look on us to be hardly used and it is impossible that in future we shall have so good an opportunity of exposing both the malice and falsehood of their information-the people able to prove both I offered to bring before Capt. Scott, whom I entreated to have them sworn and examined-this he would not comply with alledging that he could not administer an Oath as he was not a Justice of peace, I told him I imagined him one in virtue of his command here.

14th. 500 more packs sent down this year than last besides those that are to go.

[Q 48 part II page 353]

Indorsed:-Michilimackinac 16th August 1787 from Joseph Ainse. Mr. Ainse delivered this to Com'ce 1st May 1790, H. F.

SIR, According to the orders which I received last year from Captain Byrne I left this Post with a Canoe loaded with thirteen bales of goods to go and make peace among the Indian Nations.

After a fortnight's passage I arrived at La Baye in the Village of the Folles Avoines, I began to speak to the nation & inform them of the object of my visit. I made them a small present of Rum & Goods & continued my

route by the Fox River. Having come to Wisconsin Portage I assembled all the Puants to give them your speech, this was the first time that I had showed the large Belt of which you had made me the bearer & after making them a present of Goods, rum & tobacco, I continued my route on the River Wisconsin & after a passage of five days I came, in the Mississippi to a village of the Foxes where I had much trouble in stopping a party of warriors, who were preparing to go to war against the Sauteux. I made them all assemble & managed to stop this party, myself delivering the belt & war tomahawk which they were to use. They promised that for the future they would listen to your words, & also in acknowledgement I made them a present, the same as I had done to the others. Two days afterwards I prepared to leave, ascended the Mississippi & after fourteen days march I arrived at the entrance of the River St. Peter, where I found a large number of Sioux of all the different Villages who also prepared to go to war against the Sauteux. It was there that the few goods given me by Captain Byrne received a bad attack for I could not dispense with making a present to each of the five different Villages, that is where I made use of your name and I venture to flatter myself that I employed it in the best manner for I succeeded in everything. At that time a party of Sioux arrived coming from the Sauteux with sixteen fresh scalps & three prisoners. The arrival of this party caused a little interruption to the peace which I proposed, seeing that the larger part of the women tore the still bloody & ragged scalps from hands of the warriors, with an unequalled ferocity & wanted also to throw themselves upon the warrior prisoners, crying: "Ah dog; Is it thou who has killed my father," & another made the same exclamation saying "Is it thou who hast killed my brother." In short the three poor prisoners witnessed this sad spectacle which was the cause of so much bad feeling. But fortunately for those living in this neighborhood the plan of having good soldiers, who I can assure you are more respected than among the civilized nations, is in force. However they got possession of the prisoners, with trouble as they had to drag them from the hands of the women & preserved them from their rage. Although so sad a spectacle made a little confusion among us still I succeeded in quieting them by representing to them to what misery they would expose their Nation if they were obstinate & would not hear your speech, It was then one of the principal chiefs came & took me by the hand & wrapped a Beaver robe round me, saying "My Father rest until to-morrow & then we will tell you our way of thinking." The next day being all reassembled they sent to look for me by six of their soldiers, placed me on a beaver robe in the midst of their assembly, saying in very strong terms & informing me of their gratitude to their father Chevallier Johnson for wishing to bring about a peace amongst them & to unite their lands with those of their enemies.

They then made me a present of 50 stalks of wild oats & delivered to me the Sauteux prisoners which they had taken, saying, "As a proof that we listen to your words, here are the prisoners which we took into our hands take them to our father Sir John Johnson." I arranged all those affairs as well as I could desire & brought them to make peace with the Sauteux.

I then began to take courage & almost pursuaded of accomplishing your orders in full. So I continued my route, penetrating even as high as the River St. Peter through all the Sioux Villages, with your large belt without any interruption & when I came to the last village I met a party of three hundred Sioux who were coming to war with the Sauteux. I stopped this party there with a present, some chiefs coats, a medal & a flag, which I gave them from you. After great difficulty however I succeeded in stopping them. & getting them to make peace. I proposed to them that they should go among the Sauteux with a pipe of peace, which I gave them from you, to smoke in and to conclude the peace. As the season was then well advanced & as the ice prevented me from advancing farther, I left my canoe with four of my men & set off to traverse the Country on foot with two Escabias & an Interpreter, judging rightly that it was necessary to do the same among the Sauteux as I had just done among the Sioux. I left three days afterwards and, after having marched for seventeen days across the prairies, I arrived at the head of the St. Antoine Falls in the upper part of the Mississippi in the Sauteux Country. I went into the Village of the ManonimiRechi, I told them all that I had done among the Sioux, with regard to them. It was then nearly forty days since a party of Sioux had killed sixteen person in this village & made three prisoners as I have already mentioned. I remained all the rest of the winter going from Village to Village talking with the Santeux & deciding them to make the peace which their father Sir John Johnson wished them to terminate. And after having spoken to all the Sioux, Sauteux, Follesavoines & Renards I appointed them to meet nearly ten leagues in the River St. Peter on the fourteenth of March, each of these nations kept their word & I Left myself for the place where I had said I would receive them. We passed eight days & eight nights continually in conference with one another & finally we arrived at the day of the great feast of peace, after which each went to his own village promising me that six men of the principal village chiefs & also war chiefs would come to Michilimakinac. I agreed with them that I would leave for the River St. Peter on the first of May & we gave our words to each other that whichever first came to the said place on the River St. Peter would wait for the others. All this was accomplished & the day agreed upon I left to go to the Prairie du Chien, where I arrived without any accident, but on our arrival there we

were not so well received by the Foxes as I could have wished. On the eve of my arrival I sent a canoe to announce me in the Fox village & to prevent all accidents I warned, by a letter which I wrote to Mr. C. Paterson, Director of the society as well as the other traders, to stop the rum during my stay at the Prairie du Chien. Immediately on my arrival I lost no time in assembling all the Foxes, Sacks, Follesavoines, Sioux & Sauteux & did all in my power to unite their hearts which were then very much at variance. Having got the word of the Foxes, willing in spite of themselves, through the frequent councils which I held with them during the four days I remained there, I concluded to leave the fifth day well foreseeing that if I stayed longer I would not have the power to prevent the danger which threatened me. The English Traders, who had never deigned to answer my letter nor to disturb themselves much about the trouble I endured among the different nations, enemies to one another, still sent the rum as usual, & all my labours were on the verge of being destroyed by the ambition of trade in so critical a time. The day I proposed to leave was the day that Mr. Paterson assembled the Sioux & held a Council with them, without my knowledge & I was greatly surprised on their return from Mr. Paterson's that the greater part wished to leave me & return home. I tried to find out what was said at this Council but I could discover nothing except through a clerk named La Batte. I asked him what Mr. Paterson could have said to the Indians that made the greater part want to return home. He then plainly said to me "Mr. Ainse as I was present at the Council I can assure you that Mr. Paterson said nothing but good to the Indians, having said that he was master of Trade & that he was going to send to have two forts built among them, also saying to them it is true that your father Sir John Johnson is a great man but it is not in his power to send me among you if I did not wish it. Believe me, it is I, who am a Trader, that can take care of you & send you all you need." I did not hold a long discourse with him well seeing that it would not be good for me to stay here long. I had all the Canoes put into the water & left in pretty bad order to go & camp about three leagues farther down. The same evening I sent some messengers with twenty branches of porcelaine to bring back L'Aile Rouge (Red Wing) first war chief of the Sioux & many others who wished to accompany him home. I succeeded in bringing them back & continued my route as far as Michilimakinac without any interruption

I was not surprised at the Declaration of Mons'. La Batte, about Mr. Charles Paterson's conduct, since he had already, in the upper part of the River St. Peter, taken upon him to make a Chief & given him a coat & flag; that was why the great Chiefs of the Tinctons Villages as well as the great

Chiefs of the Cicitton had not come to Michilimakinac, as they had promised after having received Sir John Johnson's speech.

Altogether I had six men of each different village, I had then with me one hundred and ninety six persons and as many more I had sent over by Lake Superior, having appointed them a rendevous for the second of July on my arrival at Michilimakinac. Therefore I hope Sir that anyone might know by my conduct and by all the precautions which I took that my only ambition was to work for the public good and to save the expenses of the Indian Department as much as lay in my power, although it is not possible on so long a voyage and conducting so large a number of Indians to avoid incurring some expense, God grant Sir that my conduct be as you wish and that you are satisfied with my work, as far as was in my power to make valuable among the nations the few talents I possessed the employment of which you had been good enough to charge me with. I have sacrificed every moment since my departure from you. I then came to Michilimakinac in the hope of seeing you there. I found in your place Captain Dease. I had nothing more pressing than to attend to his orders and give him an account of my voyage. appeared very well satisfied with my conduct and willing to give effect to all the words that. I had given on your part to all the nations. I may say that Captain Dease was the proper person to achieve this work, and I flatter myself that all has been arranged to his wishes; he has made peace with all the nations which I brought here and I assure you that all the Indians have returned home as contented as anyone could wish. But unhappily for me this was on condition that I would return again among them for a year. They have even fixed my winter quarters in the upper part of the Mississippi among the Sioux and Sauteux. Although so long a voyage would be repugnant to me I feared, Sir, to displease you if I refused Captain Deases orders, in consequence I prepared two canoes to return and take the management of all your Indian children in the South. But in the hope Sir, that you would permit me to return next year to Canada, where I would be able to render account myself of my conduct. I will give you no detail of the bad treatment which I received in this place from the Traders. I will leave this to Mr. Dease who will give you an exact account. I can only assure you Sir that the high opinion which they had of me when they addressed themselves to Your Honor and asked you to send me to make peace among the nations was a plan on their part. They doubtless depended that I would do as the others had done before me who for small trips have led the department into extraordinary expenses.

Is it then possible to believe that, with thirteen small bales of goods that I had brought with me and which I had received from Captain Byrne, I could