In a little while canoes cautiously skirted the island, and the chief
of the band stood up, bow and arrow in hand. Pointing his arrows to
the deities of north, south, east, and west, he broke the shaft to
splinters, as a signal of peace, and chanted his welcome:--
"Ho, young men, be not afraid!
The sun is favorable to us!
Our enemies shall fear us!
This is the man we have wished
Since the days of our fathers!"
With a leap, the chief sprang into the water and swam ashore, followed
by all the canoes. Radisson called out to know who was commander. The
chief, with a sign as old and universal as humanity, bowed his head in
servility. Radisson took the Indian by the hand, and, seating him by
the fire, chanted an answer in Cree:--
"I know all the earth!
Your friends shall be my friends!
I come to bring you arms to destroy your enemies!
Nor wife nor child shall die of hunger!
For I have brought you merchandise!
Be of good cheer!
I will be thy son!
I have brought thee a father!
He is yonder below building a fort
Where I have two great ships!" [6]
The chief kept pace with the profuse compliments by vowing the life of
his tribe in service of the white man. Radisson presented pipes and
tobacco to the Indians. For the chief he reserved a fowling-piece with
powder and shot. White man and Indian then exchanged blankets.
Presents were sent for the absent wives. The savages were so grateful
that they cast all their furs at Radisson's feet, and promised to bring
their hunt to the fort in spring.
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