Ambrose: “He is gone home.”
Governor Stevens: “Ambrose, speaking of Victor, said he wanted time. Victor is now thinking and studying over this matter. We don’t wish to drive or hurry you in this business. Think over this matter to-night, and meet here to-morrow. I ask Ambrose to speak to Victor and tell him what I say. Ambrose loves his chief, let him take my words to him.”
He then adjourned the council to meet in the morning.
But the following day word was sent by Victor to the governor that he had not yet made up his mind, and the council was postponed to Monday morning.
When the council opened at eleven Monday morning, Victor said:—
“I am now going to talk. I was not content. You gave me a very small place. Then I thought, here they are giving away my land. That is my country over there at the mission, this also. Plenty of you say Victor is the chief of the Flatheads. The place you pointed out above is too small. From Lo Lo Fork above should belong to me. My stock will have room, and if the Blackfeet will let my horses alone, they will increase. I believe that you wish to help me, and that my people will do well there. We will send this word to the Great Father. Come and look at our country. When you look at Alexander’s place, and say the land is good, and say, Come, Victor, I will go. If you think this above is good land, then Victor will say, Come here, Alexander. Then our children will be well content. That is the way we will make the treaty, my father.”
Governor Stevens: “Victor has spoken. Do Alexander and Michelle speak in the same way? I will ask Alexander if he agrees.”
Alexander: “Maybe we cannot all come together. Here is Michelle, I know his mind. He told me, you go this way, I won’t go. Here are the lower Pend Oreilles. Maybe they are the same way. They have no horses; they have only canoes. I am very heavy, as though they tied me there.”
Michelle: “I am just following Alexander’s mind. If he goes this way, I will not go. I have come a long way to see you; when you leave I go back.”
The governor again asked them if they would agree to Victor’s proposition, and go to the reservation which was found best adapted to their needs after survey and examination, but both chiefs positively refused.