The Journey to the Polar Sea Part 31

All the Indians flocked to our encampment to learn the news and to receive the articles brought for them. Having got some spirits and tobacco they withdrew to the tent of the chief and pa.s.sed the greater part of the night in singing. We had now the indescribable gratification of changing our linen which had been worn ever since our departure from the sea-coast.

December 8.

After a long conference with Akaitcho we took leave of him and his kind companions and set out with two sledges, heavily laden with provision and bedding, drawn by the dogs, and conducted by Belanger and the Canadian sent by Mr. Weeks. Hepburn and Augustus jointly dragged a smaller sledge laden princ.i.p.ally with their own bedding. Adam and Benoit were left to follow with the Indians. We encamped on the Gra.s.sy-Lake Portage, having walked about nine miles, princ.i.p.ally on the Yellow Knife River. It was open at the rapids and in these places we had to ascend its banks and walk through the woods for some distance, which was very fatiguing, especially to Dr. Richardson whose feet were severely galled in consequence of some defect in his snowshoes.

On the 11th however we arrived at the fort which was still under the charge of Mr. Weeks. He welcomed us in the most kind manner, immediately gave us changes of dress, and did everything in his power to make us comfortable.

Our sensations on being once more in a comfortable dwelling after the series of hards.h.i.+ps and miseries we had experienced may be imagined. Our first act was again to return our grateful praises to the Almighty for the manifold instances of His mercy towards us. Having found here some articles which Mr. Back had sent across from Moose-Deer Island I determined on awaiting the arrival of Akaitcho and his party in order to present these to them and to a.s.sure them of the promised reward as soon as it could possibly be procured.

In the afternoon of the 14th Akaitcho with his whole band came to the fort. He smoked his customary pipe and made an address to Mr. Weeks in the hall previous to his coming into the room in which Dr. Richardson and I were. We discovered at the commencement of his speech to us that he had been informed that our expected supplies had not come. He spoke of this circ.u.mstance as a disappointment indeed sufficiently severe to himself, to whom his band looked up for the protection of their interests, but without attaching any blame to us. "The world goes badly," he said "all are poor; you are poor, the traders appear to be poor, I and my party are poor likewise, and since the goods have not come in we cannot have them.

I do not regret having supplied you with provisions for a Copper Indian can never permit white men to suffer from want of food on his lands without flying to their aid. I trust however that we shall, as you say, receive what is due next autumn, and at all events," he added in a tone of good humour, "it is the first time that the white people have been indebted to the Copper Indians." We a.s.sured him the supplies should certainly be sent to him by the autumn if not before. He then cheerfully received the small present we made to himself and, although we could give a few things only to those who had been most active in our service, the others who perhaps thought themselves equally deserving did not murmur at being left out in the distribution. Akaitcho afterwards expressed a strong desire that we should represent the character of his nation in a favourable light to our countrymen. "I know," he said, "you write down every occurrence in your books, but probably you have only noticed the bad things we have said and done, and have omitted the good." In the course of the desultory conversation which ensued he said that he had been always told by us to consider the traders in the same light as ourselves, and that for his part he looked upon both as equally respectable. This a.s.surance, made in the presence of Mr. Weeks, was particularly gratifying to us as it completely disproved the defence that had been set up respecting the injurious reports circulated against us amongst the Indians in the spring, namely that they were in retaliation for our endeavours to lower the traders in the eyes of the Indians. I take this opportunity of stating my opinion that Mr. Weeks, in spreading these reports, was actuated by a mistaken idea that he was serving the interest of his employers. On the present occasion we felt indebted to him for the sympathy he displayed for our distresses, and the kindness with which he administered to our personal wants. After this conference such Indians as were indebted to the Company were paid for the provision they had given us by deducting a corresponding sum from their debts; in the same way we gave a reward of sixteen skins of beaver to each of the persons who had come to our relief at Fort Enterprise. As the debts of Akaitcho and his hunters had been effaced at the time of his engagement with us we placed a sum equal to the amount of provision they had recently supplied to their credit on the Company's books. These things being, through the moderation of the Indians, adjusted with an unexpected facility, we gave them a keg of mixed liquors (five parts water) and distributed among them several fathoms of tobacco, and they retired to their tents to spend the night in merriment.

Adam, our interpreter, being desirous of uniting himself with the Copper Indians, applied to me for his discharge which I granted, and gave him a bill on the Hudson's Bay Company for the amount of his wages. These arrangements being completed we prepared to cross the lake.

Mr. Weeks provided Dr. Richardson and I with a cariole each and we set out at eleven A.M. on the 15th for Moose-Deer Island. Our party consisted of Belanger who had charge of a sledge laden with the bedding and drawn by two dogs, our two cariole men, Benoit and Augustus. Previous to our departure we had another conference with Akaitcho who, as well as the rest of his party, bade us farewell with a warmth of manner rare among the Indians.

The badness of Belanger's dogs and the roughness of the ice impeded our progress very much and obliged us to encamp early. We had a good fire made of the driftwood which lines the sh.o.r.es of this lake in great quant.i.ties. The next day was very cold. We began the journey at nine A.M.

and encamped at the Big Cape, having made another short march in consequence of the roughness of the ice.

On the 17th we encamped on the most southerly of the Reindeer Islands.

This night was very stormy but, the wind abating in the morning, we proceeded and by sunset reached the fis.h.i.+ng-huts of the Company at Stony Point. Here we found Mr. Andrews, a clerk of the Hudson's Bay Company, who regaled us with a supper of excellent white-fish for which this part of Slave Lake is particularly celebrated. Two men with sledges arrived soon afterwards, sent by Mr. McVicar, who expected us about this time. We set off in the morning before daybreak with several companions and arrived at Moose-Deer Island about one P.M. Here we were received with the utmost hospitality by Mr. McVicar, the chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company in this district, as well as by his a.s.sistant Mr. McAuley. We had also the happiness of joining our friend Mr. Back; our feelings on this occasion can be well imagined and we were deeply impressed with grat.i.tude to him for his exertions in sending the supply of food to Fort Enterprise, to which under Divine Providence we felt the preservation of our lives to be owing. He gave us an affecting detail of the proceedings of his party since our separation, the substance of which I shall convey to the reader by the following extracts from his Journal.

MR. BACK'S NARRATIVE.

October 4, 1821.

Captain Franklin having directed me to proceed with St. Germain, Belanger, and Beauparlant to Fort Enterprise, in the hope of obtaining relief for the party, I took leave of my companions and set out on my journey through a very swampy country which, with the cloudy state of the weather and a keen north-east wind, accompanied by frequent snow-showers, r.e.t.a.r.ded us so much that we had scarcely got more than four miles before we halted for the night and made a meal of tripe de roche and some old leather.

On the 5th we set out early amidst extremely deep snow, sinking frequently in it up to the thighs, a labour in our enfeebled and almost worn-out state that nothing but the cheering hopes of reaching the house and affording relief to our friends could have enabled us to support. As we advanced we found to our mortification that the tripe de roche, hitherto our sole dependence, began to be scarce, so that we could only collect sufficient to make half a kettleful which, with the addition of a partridge each that St. Germain had killed, yielded a tolerable meal; during this day I felt very weak and sore in the joints, particularly between the shoulders. At eight we encamped among a small clump of willows.

On the 6th we set out at an early hour, pursuing our route over a range of hills at the foot of one of which we saw several large pines and a great quant.i.ty of willows, a sight that encouraged us to quicken our pace as we were now certain we could not be far from the woods. Indeed we were making considerable progress when Belanger unfortunately broke through the ice and sank up to the hips. The weather being cold, he was in danger of freezing, but some brushwood on the borders of the lake enabled us to make a fire to dry him. At the same time we took the opportunity of refres.h.i.+ng ourselves with a kettle of swamp tea.

My increasing debility had for some time obliged me to use a stick for the purpose of extending my arms, the pain in my shoulders being so acute that I could not bear them to remain in the usual position for two minutes together. We halted at five among some small brushwood and made a sorry meal of an old pair of leather trousers and some swamp tea.

The night was cold with a hard frost and though two persons slept together yet we could not by any means keep ourselves warm, but remained trembling the whole time. The following morning we crossed several lakes, occasionally seeing the recent tracks of deer, and at noon we fell upon Marten Lake; it happened to be at the exact spot where we had been the last year with the canoes yet, though I immediately recognised the place, the men would not believe it to be the same; at length by pointing out several marks and relating circ.u.mstances connected with them they recovered their memory, and a simultaneous expression of "Mon Dieu, nous sommes sauves," broke from the whole. Contrary to our expectations the lake was frozen sufficiently to bear us, so that we were excused from making the tours of the different bays. This circ.u.mstance seemed to impart fresh vigour to us and we walked as fast as the extreme smoothness of the ice would permit, intending to reach the Slave Rock that night, but an unforeseen and almost fatal accident prevented the prosecution of our plan: Belanger (who seemed the victim of misfortune) again broke through the ice in a deep part near the head of the rapid, but was timely saved by our fastening our worsted belts together and pulling him out. By urging him forwards as quick as his icy garments would admit to prevent his freezing, we reached a few pines and kindled a fire, but it was late before he even felt warm, though he was so near the flame as to burn his hair twice, and to add to our distress (since we could not pursue them) three wolves crossed the lake close to us.

The night of the 7th was extremely stormy and about ten the following morning, on attempting to go on, we found it totally impossible, being too feeble to oppose the wind and drift which frequently blew us over and, on attempting to cross a small lake that lay in our way, drove us faster backwards than with every effort we could get forwards; we therefore encamped under the shelter of a small clump of pines, secure from the south-west storm that was raging around us. In the evening, there being no tripe de roche we were compelled to satisfy, or rather allay, the cravings of hunger by eating a gun cover and a pair of old shoes; at this time I had scarcely strength to get on my legs.

The wind did not in the least abate during the night but in the morning of the 9th it changed to north-east and became moderate. We took advantage of this circ.u.mstance and, rising with great difficulty, set out, though had it not been for the hope of reaching the house I am certain, from the excessive faintness which almost overpowered me, that I must have remained where I was. We pa.s.sed the Slave Rock and, making frequent halts, arrived within a short distance of Fort Enterprise, but as we perceived neither any marks of Indians nor even of animals, the men began absolutely to despair, on a nearer approach however the tracks of large herds of deer which had only pa.s.sed a few hours tended a little to revive their spirits, and shortly after we crossed the ruinous threshold of the long-sought spot, but what was our surprise, what our sensations, at beholding everything in the most desolate and neglected state; the doors and windows of that room in which we expected to find provision had been thrown down and the wild animals of the woods had resorted there as to a place of shelter and retreat. Mr. Wentzel had taken away the trunks and papers but had left no note to guide us to the Indians. This was to us the most grievous disappointment: without the a.s.sistance of the Indians, bereft of every resource, we felt ourselves reduced to the most miserable state, which was rendered still worse from the recollection that our friends in the rear were as miserable as ourselves. For the moment however hunger prevailed and each began to gnaw the sc.r.a.ps of putrid and frozen meat that were lying about without waiting to prepare them. A fire however was made and the neck and bones of a deer found in the house were boiled and devoured.

I determined to remain a day here to repose; then to go in search of the Indians and, in the event of missing them, to proceed to the first trading establishment which was distant about one hundred and thirty miles, and from thence to send succour to my companions. This indeed I should have done immediately as the most certain manner of executing my purpose, had there been any probability of the river and lakes being frozen to the southward, or had we possessed sufficient strength to have clambered over the rocks and mountains which impeded the direct way, but as we were aware of our inability to do so I listened to St. Germain's proposal, which was to follow the deer into the woods (so long as they did not lead us out of our route to the Indians) and if possible to collect sufficient food to carry us to Fort Providence. We now set about making mittens and snowshoes whilst Belanger searched under the snow and collected a ma.s.s of old bones which, when burned and used with a little salt, we found palatable enough and made a tolerable meal. At night St.

Germain returned, having seen plenty of tracks but no animals; the day was cloudy with fresh breezes and the river was frozen at the borders.

On the 11th we prepared for our journey, having first collected a few old skins of deer to serve us as food, and written a note to be left for our commander to apprise him of our intentions. We pursued the course of the river to the lower lake when St. Germain fell in, which obliged us to encamp directly to prevent his being frozen; indeed we were all glad to rest for, in our meagre and reduced state, it was impossible to resist the weather which at any other time would have been thought fine; my toes were frozen and, although wrapped up in a blanket, I could not keep my hands warm.

The 12th was exceedingly cold with fresh breezes. Our meal at night consisted of sc.r.a.ps of old deer-skins and swamp tea and the men complained greatly of their increasing debility. The following morning I sent St. Germain to hunt, intending to go some distance down the lake, but the weather becoming exceedingly thick with snow-storms we were prevented from moving. He returned without success, not having seen any animals. We had nothing to eat.

In the morning of the 14th the part of the lake before us was quite frozen. There was so much uncertainty in St. Germain's answers as to the chance of any Indians being in the direction we were then going (although he had previously said that the leader had told him he should be there) and he gave so much dissatisfaction in his hunting excursions that I was induced to send a note to the Commander, whom I supposed to be by this time at Fort Enterprise, to inform him of our situation; not that I imagined for a moment he could amend it, but that by all returning to the fort we might perhaps have better success in hunting; with this view I despatched Belanger, much against his inclination, and told him to return as quickly as possible to a place about four miles farther on where we intended to fish and to await his arrival. The men were so weak this day that I could get neither of them to move from the encampment, and it was only necessity that compelled them to cut wood for fuel, in performing which operation Beauparlant's face became so dreadfully swelled that he could scarcely see; I myself lost my temper on the most trivial circ.u.mstances and was become very peevish; the day was fine but cold with a freezing north-east wind. We had nothing to eat.

October 15.

The night was calm and clear but it was not before two in the afternoon that we set out, and the one was so weak and the other so full of complaints that we did not get more than three-quarters of a mile from our last encampment before we were obliged to put up, but in this distance we were fortunate enough to kill a partridge, the bones of which were eaten and the remainder reserved for baits to fish with. We however collected sufficient tripe de roche to make a meal and I anxiously awaited Belanger's return to know what course to take. I was now so much reduced that my shoulders were as if they would fall from my body, my legs seemed unable to support me and, in the disposition in which I then found myself, had it not been for the remembrance of my friends behind who relied on me for relief as well as the persons of whom I had charge, I certainly should have preferred remaining where I was to the miserable pain of attempting to move.

October 16.

We waited until two in the afternoon for Belanger but, not seeing anything of him on the lake, we set out, purposing to encamp at the Narrows, the place which was said to be so good for fis.h.i.+ng and where, according to St. Germain's account, the Indians never failed to catch plenty; its distance at most could not be more than two miles. We had not proceeded far before Beauparlant began to complain of increasing weakness, but this was so usual with us that no particular notice was taken of it, for in fact there was little difference, all being alike feeble: among other things he said whilst we were resting that he should never get beyond the next encampment for his strength had quite failed him. I endeavoured to encourage him by explaining the mercy of the Supreme Being who ever beholds with an eye of pity those that seek His aid. This pa.s.sed as common discourse. When he inquired where we were to put up St. Germain pointed to a small clump of pines near us, the only place indeed that offered for fuel. "Well," replied the poor man, "take your axe, Mr. Back, and I will follow at my leisure, I shall join you by the time the encampment is made." This is a usual practice of the country and St. Germain and myself went on towards the spot; it was five o'clock and not very cold but rather milder than we had experienced it for some time when, on leaving the ice, we saw a number of crows perched on the top of some high pines near us. St. Germain immediately said there must be some dead animal thereabouts and proceeded to search, when we saw several heads of deer half buried in the snow and ice without eyes or tongues, the previous severity of the weather having obliged the wolves and other animals to abandon them. An expression of "Oh merciful G.o.d! we are saved," broke from us both, and with feelings more easily imagined than described we shook hands, not knowing what to say for joy. It was twilight and a fog was rapidly darkening the surface of the lake when St.

Germain commenced making the encampment; the task was too laborious for me to render him any a.s.sistance and, had we not thus providentially found provision, I feel convinced that the next twenty-four hours would have terminated my existence. But this good fortune in some measure renovated me for the moment and, putting out my whole strength, I contrived to collect a few heads and with incredible difficulty carried them singly about thirty paces to the fire.

Darkness stole on us apace and I became extremely anxious about Beauparlant; several guns were fired to each of which he answered. We then called out and again heard his responses though faintly, when I told St. Germain to go and look for him as I had not strength myself, being quite exhausted. He said that he had already placed a pine branch on the ice and he could then scarcely find his way back, but if he went now he should certainly be lost. In this situation I could only hope that, as Beauparlant had my blanket and everything requisite to light a fire, he might have encamped at a little distance from us.

October 17.

The night was cold and clear but we could not sleep at all from the pains of having eaten. We suffered the most excruciating torments though I in particular did not eat a quarter of what would have satisfied me; it might have been from using a quant.i.ty of raw or frozen sinews of the legs of deer, which neither of us could avoid doing, so great was our hunger.

In the morning, being much agitated for the safety of Beauparlant, I desired St. Germain to go in search of him and to return with him as quick as possible, when I would have something prepared for them to eat.

It was however late when he arrived, with a small bundle which Beauparlant was accustomed to carry and, with tears in his eyes, told me that he had found our poor companion dead. Dead! I could not believe him.

"It is so sir," said St. Germain, "after hallooing and calling his name to no purpose I went towards our last encampment about three-quarters of a mile and found him stretched upon his back on a sandbank frozen to death, his limbs all extended and swelled enormously and as hard as the ice that was near him; his bundle was behind him as if it had rolled away when he fell, and the blanket which he wore around his neck and shoulders thrown on one side. Seeing that there was no longer life in him I threw your covering over him and placed his snowshoes on the top of it."

I had not even thought of so serious an occurrence in our little party and for a short time was obliged to give vent to my grief. Left with one person and both of us weak, no appearance of Belanger, a likelihood that great calamity had taken place amongst our other companions, still upwards of seventeen days' march from the nearest establishment, and myself unable to carry a burden; all these things pressed heavy on me, and how to get to the Indians or to the fort I did not know but, that I might not depress St. Germain's spirits, I suppressed the feelings to which these thoughts gave rise and made some arrangements for the journey to Fort Providence.

October 18.

While we were this day occupied in sc.r.a.ping together the remains of some deer's meat we observed Belanger coming round a point apparently scarcely moving. I went to meet him and made immediate inquiries about my friends.

Five, with the Captain, he said, were at the house, the rest were left near the river unable to proceed, but he was too weak to relate the whole. He was conducted to the encampment and paid every attention to, and by degrees we heard the remainder of his tragic tale, at which the interpreter could not avoid crying. He then gave me a letter from my friend the Commander which indeed was truly afflicting. The simple story of Belanger I could hear, but when I read it in another language, mingled with the pious resignation of a good man, I could not sustain it any longer. The poor man was much affected at the death of our lamented companion but his appet.i.te prevailed over every other feeling and, had I permitted it, he would have done himself an injury; for after two hours'

eating, princ.i.p.ally skin and sinews, he complained of hunger. The day was cloudy with snow and fresh breezes from the north-east by east.

The last evening as well as this morning the 19th I mentioned my wishes to the men that we should proceed towards Reindeer Lake, but this proposal met with a direct refusal. Belanger stated his inability to move and St. Germain used similar language, adding for the first time that he did not know the route, and that it was of no use to go in the direction I mentioned, which was the one agreed upon between the Commander and myself. I then insisted that we should go by the known route and join the Commander, but they would not hear of it; they would remain where they were until they had regained their strength; they said I wanted to expose them again to death (faire perir). In vain did I use every argument to the contrary for they were equally heedless to all. Thus situated I was compelled to remain, and from this time to the 25th we employed ourselves in looking about for the remnants of the deer and pieces of skin which even the wolves had left and, by pounding the bones, we were enabled to make a sort of soup which strengthened us greatly, though each still complained of weakness. It was not without the greatest difficulty that I could restrain the men from eating every sc.r.a.p they found, though they were well aware of the necessity there was of being economical in our present situation and to save whatever they could for our journey; yet they could not resist the temptation and whenever my back was turned they seldom failed to s.n.a.t.c.h at the nearest piece to them, whether cooked or raw.

We had set fis.h.i.+ng-lines but without any success, and we often saw large herds of deer crossing the lake at full speed and wolves pursuing them.

The night of the 25th was cold with hard frost. Early the next morning I sent the men to cover the body of our departed companion Beauparlant with the trunks and branches of trees which they did and, shortly after their return, I opened his bundle and found it contained two papers of vermilion, several strings of beads, some fire-steels, flints, awls, fish-hooks, rings, linen, and the gla.s.s of an artificial horizon. My two men began to recover a little as well as myself, though I was by far the weakest of the three; the soles of my feet were cracked all over and the other parts were as hard as horn from constant walking. I again urged the necessity of advancing to join the Commander's party but they said they were not sufficiently strong.

On the 27th we discovered the remains of a deer on which we feasted. The night was unusually cold and ice formed in a pint-pot within two feet of the fire. The coruscations of the Aurora Borealis were beautifully brilliant; they served to show us eight wolves which we had some trouble to frighten away from our collection of deer's bones and, between their howling and the constant cracking of the ice, we did not get much rest.

Having collected with great care and by self-denial two small packets of dried meat or sinews sufficient (for men who knew what it was to fast) to last for eight days at the rate of one indifferent meal per day, we prepared to set out on the 30th. I calculated that we should be about fourteen days in reaching Fort Providence and, allowing that we neither killed deer nor found Indians, we could but be unprovided with food six days and this we heeded not whilst the prospect of obtaining full relief was before us. Accordingly we set out against a keen north-east wind in order to gain the known route to Fort Providence. We saw a number of wolves and some crows on the middle of the lake and, supposing such an a.s.semblage was not met idly, we made for them and came in for a share of a deer which they had killed a short time before, and thus added a couple of meals to our stock. By four P.M. we gained the head of the lake or the direct road to Fort Providence and, some dry wood being at hand, we encamped; by accident it was the same place where the Commander's party had slept on the 19th, the day on which I supposed they had left Fort Enterprise, but the encampment was so small that we feared great mortality had taken place amongst them, and I am sorry to say the stubborn resolution of my men not to go to the house prevented me from determining this most anxious point, so that I now almost dreaded pa.s.sing their encampments lest I should see some of our unfortunate friends dead at each spot. Our fire was hardly kindled when a fine herd of deer pa.s.sed close to us. St. Germain pursued them a short distance but with his usual want of success so that we made a meal off the muscles and sinews we had dried, though they were so tough that we could scarcely cut them. My hands were benumbed throughout the march and we were all stiff and fatigued. The marching of two days weakened us all very much and the more so on account of our exertion to follow the tracks of our Commander's party, but we lost them and concluded that they were not before us.

Though the weather was not cold I was frozen in the face and was so reduced and affected by these constant calamities, as well in mind as in body, that I found much difficulty in proceeding even with the advantages I had enjoyed.

November 3.

We set out before day, though in fact we were all much fitter to remain from the excessive pain which we suffered in our joints, and proceeded till one P.M. without halting, when Belanger who was before stopped and cried out "Footsteps of Indians." It is needless to mention the joy that brightened the countenances of each at this unlooked-for sight; we knew relief must be at hand and considered our sufferings at an end. St.

Germain inspected the tracks and said that three persons had pa.s.sed the day before, and that he knew the remainder must be advancing to the southward as was customary with these Indians when they sent to the trading establishment on the first ice. On this information we encamped and, being too weak to walk myself, I sent St. Germain to follow the tracks, with instructions to the chief of the Indians to provide immediate a.s.sistance for such of our friends as might be at Fort Enterprise, as well as for ourselves, and to lose no time in returning to me. I was now so exhausted that, had we not seen the tracks this day, I must have remained at the next encampment until the men could have sent aid from Fort Providence. We had finished our small portion of sinews and were preparing for rest when an Indian boy made his appearance with meat.

St. Germain had arrived before sunset at the tents of Akaitcho whom he found at the spot where he had wintered last year, but imagine my surprise when he gave me a note from the Commander and said that Benoit and Augustus, two of the men, had just joined them. The note was so confused by the pencil marks being partly rubbed out that I could not decipher it clearly, but it informed me that he had attempted to come with the two men but, finding his strength inadequate to the task, he relinquished his design and returned to Fort Enterprise to await relief with the others. There was another note for the gentleman in charge of Fort Providence desiring him to send meat, blankets, shoes, and tobacco.

Akaitcho wished me to join him on the ensuing day at a place which the boy knew where they were going to fish, and I was the more anxious to do so on account of my companions, but particularly that I might hear a full relation of what had happened and of the Commander's true situation, which I suspected to be much worse than he had described.

In the afternoon I joined the Indians and repeated to Akaitcho what St.

Germain had told him; he seemed much affected and said he would have sent relief directly though I had not been there; indeed his conduct was generous and humane. The next morning at an early hour three Indians with loaded sledges of meat, skins, shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort Enterprise; one of them was to return directly with an answer from Captain Franklin to whom I wrote but, in the event of his death, he was to bring away all the papers he could find, and he promised to travel with such haste as to be able to return to us on the fourth day. I was now somewhat more at ease, having done all in my power to succour my unfortunate companions, but was very anxious for the return of the messenger. The Indians brought me meat in small quant.i.ties though sufficient for our daily consumption and, as we had a little ammunition, many were paid on the spot for what they gave.

On the 9th I had the satisfaction of seeing the Indian arrive from Fort Enterprise. At first he said they were all dead but shortly after he gave me a note which was from the Commander and then I learned all the fatal particulars which had befallen them. I now proposed that the chief should immediately send three sledges loaded with meat to Fort Enterprise, should make a cache of provision at our present encampment, and also that he should here await the arrival of the Commander. By noon two large trains laden with meat were sent off for Fort Enterprise. The next day we proceeded on our journey and arrived at Fort Providence on the 21st of November.