"From this village [at the entrance of the Lake of the Woods], we received ceremonious presents. The mode with the Indian is, first to collect all the provisions they can spare, and place them in a heap; after which they send for the trader, and address him in a formal speech. They tell him, that the Indians are happy in seeing him return into their country;
that they have been long in expectation of his arrival;
that their wives have deprived themselves of their provisions, in order to afford him a supply;
that they are in great want, being destitute of every thing, and particularly of ammunition and clothing; and
that what they most long for, is a taste of his rum, which they uniformly denominate milk.
"The present, in return, consisted in one keg of gunpowder, of sixty pounds weight;
a bag of shot, and another of powder, of eighty pounds each;
a few smaller articles, and a keg of rum. The last appeared to be the chief treasure, though on the former depended the greater part of their winter's subsistence.
"In a short time, the men began to drink, while the women brought me a further and very valuable present, of twenty bags of rice. This I returned with goods and rum, and at the same time offered more, for an additional quantity of rice. A trade was opened, the women bartering rice, while the men were drinking. Before morning, I had purchased a hundred bags, of nearly a bushel measure each. [...]
"When morning arrived, all the village was inebriated; and the danger of misunderstanding was increased by the facility with which the women abandoned themselves to my Canadians. In consequence, I lost no time in leaving the place" (243-4).