Meanwhile Hudson kept on his course, and the Indians con tinued to collect on the banks of the river, expressing their curiosity in at last,

the

strongest manner. Establishing intercourse on board the ship, where they were

ventured

they

" in a

friendly manner, and they returned the salute " after their manner." They are lost in admiration both as to

saluted

the color of the skin of these whites, as also of their manner

of dress ; yet most as to the habit of him who wore the red which shone with something they could not account

clothes,

He must be the Great Manitto, but why should he have " Then they sat down to eat with their strange a white skin for.

?

" a

visitant,

large and elegant hockback was brought forward by

one of the Manitto's servants, and something poured from it into a small cup or glass, and handed to the Manitto. He drank it, had the cup refilled, and had it handed to the chief The chief receives the glass, but only next to him to drink. it on to the next chief, who does the The glass thus passes through the circle without the

smells at it, and passes

same.

contents being tasted by any one, and is on the point of being returned again to the red-clothed man, when one of their num ber, a spirited man and great warrior,

jumps up, harangues the the of on impropriety returning the glass with the assembly contents in it ; that the same was handed them by the Manitto in order that they should drink it, as he himself had done before them ; that this would please him ; but to return what he had given to them might provoke him, and be the cause of their