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Monday 22^d December 1800 – Continued[.] But I certainly think it very hard that the River la Cocquille people cannot keep their own Indians from going to trade with our people, who are so near a little Poté opposition & short of Goods at the same time. Moreover that it's a triple expence, for all those Indians have Credits from M^r M^cDonell's people, who were at considerable expences with them last fall, & its' rather hard that they should be allow'd to trade what little they may have a Second time[.] By the accounts from Fort Dauphin Cardin, does nothing, & is very quiete, but I am really apprehensive from their want of Goods &c. (our people I mean) he may get a few Packs in the Spring, they may have just now at Fort Dauphin & all it's dependences 25 or 26 Good Packs. The old Pass au Travers came to the Fort, with 20 Cass'd Cat & 8 Beavers.

Teusday 23^d[.] Fine mild weather, but cloudy, & the trees & everything so covered with Rhyme, that all nature seems powdered, & not an air of wind to shake it off[.] Sent off B^te Roy & Decarré for River la Biche[.]

Wednessday 24^th[.] Snow'd a few inches deep of very light Snow last night, very mild weather, today[.] M^r M^cGillis intended going off but Lambert could not find their Horses[.] I Sent off the Fort Dauphin men to Swan River for a keg H.Wines each, it's enormous the expense I am at in provisions for so many strangers M^r M^cGillis takes from here 4 large Capots, 3 New Guns, 10 P^r Tranches, 1 Buffaloe robe 4 Casstettes à Calûmet, 1 P^r Large Steelyards, & a Fort Flag[.] M^r Perigné & La France arriv'd from the Montaigne des Oiseaux.

Thursday 25^th[.] Being Christmas I gave the men a dram[.] M^r M^cGillis went off, & Lambert with him, four men came from the River Qui appelle, who brought me a letter from M^r M^cDonell in which he asks me for Powder & tells me to send him Tobacco & Salt, I having none of those articles here I told his men they must go to Swan River, to which to get them to consent I had a great deal of trouble, & they insisted on returning as they came from here, three of them at last consented to go but sa[id] they had neither Shoes nor Tobacco, I gave each 2 P^rs of Shoes & a foot & half Tobacco to 3 of them[.] They are a troublesome sett.

Friday 26^th[.] Still Mild & Cloudy[.] Two of the Red River Men Sett off for Swan River, the third that was to have gone pays one of the others to fetch up his piece[.] My two hunters came to the House, they tell me the Cows (Buffaloe) are not far off from where they are, I was oblidged to give them Liquor enough to get drunk; theres the Meat of a Red Deer at their Lodge that the Kill'd yesterday[.]

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