reminded Akaitcho, that our having caused the Esquimaux to be
brought up at a great expense, was evidence of our future intentions,
and imformed him that I should write to Mr. Smith, the
senior trader in the department, on the subject, when I had no
doubt that a satisfactory explanation would be given. The Indians
retired from the conference apparently satisfied, but this business
was in the end productive of much inconvenience to us, and proved
very detrimental to the progress of the Expedition. In conjunction
also with other intelligence conveyed in Mr. Back’s letters respecting
the disposition of the traders towards us, particularly a statement of
Mr. Weeks, that he had been desired not to assist us with supplies
from his post, it was productive of much present uneasiness to me.
On the 28th St. Germain, the interpreter, set out with eight Canadian
voyagers and four Indian hunters to bring up our stores from
Fort Providence. I wrote by him to Mr. Smith, at Moose-Deer
Island, and Mr. Keith, at Chipewyan, both of the North-West Company,
urging them in the strongest manner to comply with the requisition
for stores, which Mr. Back would present. I also informed
Mr. Simpson, principal agent in the Athabasca for the Hudson’s Bay
Company, who had proffered every assistance in his power, that we
should gladly avail ourselves of the kind intentions expressed in a
letter which I had received from him.
We also sent a number of broken axes to Slave Lake to be repaired.
The dog that came to us on the 22d of October, and had become
very familiar, followed the party. We were in hopes that it might
prove of some use in dragging their loads, but we afterwards learned,
that on the evening after their departure from the house, they had
the cruelty to kill and eat it, although they had no reasbn to apprehend
a scarcity of provision. A dog is considered to be delicate
eating by the voyagers.
The mean temperature of the air for November was—0°.7. The
greatest heat observed was 25° above, and the least 31° below zero.
On the 1st of December the sky was clear, a slight appearance of
stratus only being visible near the horizon ; but a kind of snow fell
at intervals in the forenoon, its particles so minute as to be observed
only in the sunshine. Towards noon the snow became more
apparent, and the two limbs of a prismatic arch were visible, one on
each side of the sun near its place in the heavens, the centre being
deficient. We have frequently observed this descent of minute icy
spiculae when the sky appears perfectly clear, and could even perceive
that its silent but continued action, added to the snowy covering of
the ground.
Having received one hundred balls from Fort Providence by
Belanger, we distributed them amongst the Indians, informing the
leader at the same time, that the residence of so large a party as his
at the house, amounting, with women and children, to forty souls,
was producing a serious reduction in our stock of provision. He
acknowledged the justice of the statement, and promised to remove
as soon as his party had prepared snow-shoes and sledges for themselves.
Under one pretext or other, however, their departure was
delayed until the 10th of the month, when they left us, having previously
received one of our fishing-nets, and all the ammunition we
possessed. The leader left his aged mother and two female attendants
to our care, requesting that if she died during his absence,
she might be buried at a distance from the fort, that he might not be
reminded of his loss when he visited us,
Keskarrah, the guide, also remained behind, with his wife and
daughter. The old man had become too feeble to hunt, and his time
was almost entirely occupied in attendance upon his wife, who had
been long affected with an ulcer on the face, which had nearly destroyed
her nose.
He made an offering to the water spirits, whose wrath he apprehended
to be the cause of her malady. It consisted of a knife, a
piece of tobacco, and some other trifling articles, which were tied
up in a small bundle, and committed to the rapid with a long prayer.