versation, which gave us a favourable opinion of his intellectual
powers. He made many inquiries respecting the Discovery ships,
under the command of Captain Parry, which had been mentioned to
him, and asked why a passage had not been discovered long ago, if
one existed. It may be stated that we gave a faithful explanation to
all his inquiries, which policy would have prompted us to do if a love
of truth had not; for whenever these northern nations detect a falsehood
in the dealings of the traders, they make it an unceasing subject
of reproach, and their confidence is irrecoverably lost.
We presented to the chief, the two guides, and the seven hunters,
who had engaged to accompany us, some cloth, blankets, tobacco,
knives, daggers, besides other useful iron materials, and a gun to
each; also a keg of very weak spirits and water, which they kept
until the evening, as they had to try their guns before dark, and
make the necessary preparations for commencing the journey on the
morrow. They, however, did not leave us so soon, as the chief was
desirous of being present, with his party, at the dance, which was
given in the evening to our Canadian voyagers. They were highly
entertained by the vivacity and agility displayed by our companions
in their singing and dancing: and especially by their imitating the
gestures of a Canadian, who placed himself in the most ludicrous
postures; and, whenever this was done, the gravity of the chief gave
way to violent bursts of laughter. In return for the gratification
Akaitcho had enjoyed, he desired his young men to exhibit the Dog-
Rib Indian dance; and immediately they ranged themselves in a
circle, and, keeping their legs widely separated, began to jump simultaneously
sideways; their bodies were bent, their hands placed
on their hips, and they uttered forcibly the interjection tsa at each
jump. Devoid as were their attitudes of grace, and their music of
harmony, we were much amused by the novelty of the exhibition.
In the midst of this scene an untoward accident occurred, which for
a time interrupted our amusements. The tent in which Dr. Richardson
and I lodged, having caught fire from some embers that had been
placed in it to expel the musquitoes, Was entirely burnt. Hepburn,
who was sleeping within it, close to some powder, most providentially
awoke in time to throw it clear of the flame, and rescue the baggage,
before any material injury had been received. We dreaded the consequences
of this disaster upon the fickle minds of the Indians, and
wished it not to be communicated to them. The chief, however^
was soon informed of it by one of his people, and expressed his desire
that no future misfortune should be concealed from him. We found
he was most concerned to hear that the flag had been burnt, but we
removed his anxiety on that point, by the assurance that it could
easily be repaired. We were advised by Mr. Wentzel to recommence
the dancing after this event, lest the Indians should imagine,
by our putting a stop to it, that we considered the circumstance as
an unfavourable commencement of our undertaking. We were, however
deeply impressed with a grateful sense of the Divine Providence,
in averting the threatened destruction of our stores, which would
have been fatal to every prospect of proceeding forward this season.
August 1.—This morning the Indians set out, intending to wait for
us at the mouth of the Yellow-Knife River. We remained behind
to pack our stores, in bales of eighty pounds each, an operation
which could not be done in the presence of these Indians, as they
are in the habit of begging for every thing they see. Our stores
consisted of two barrels of gunpowder, one hundred and forty pounds
of ball and small shot, four fowling-pieces, a few old trading guns,
eight pistols, twenty-four Indian daggers, some packages of knives,
chisels, axes, nails, and fastenings for a boat; a few yards of cloth,
some blankets, needles, looking-glasses, and beads ; together with nine
fishing-nets, having meshes of different sizes. Our provision was two
casks of flour, two hundred dried rein-deer tongues, some dried