an English stomach, it was thought great luxury after three days’
privation in these cheerless regions of America. Indeed had it not
been for the precaution and generosity of the Indians, we must have
gone, without sustenance until we reached the Fort.
; “ On the 1st of November our men began to make a raft to enable
us to cross a river which was not even frozen at the edges. It was
soon finished, and three of us embarked, being seated up to the ankles
in water. We each took a pine branch for a paddle, and made an
effort to gain the opposite shore, in which, after some time, (and not
without strong apprehensions of drifting into the Slave Lake,) we
succeeded. In two hours the whole party was over, with a comfortable
addition to it in the shape of some fine fish, which the Indians
had caught; of course we did not forget to take these friends with us,
and after passing several lakes, to one of which we saw no terminal
tion, we halted within eight miles to the Fort. The Great Slave
Lake was not frozen.
“ In crossing a narrow branch of the lake I fell through the ice,
but received no injury ; and at noon we arrived at Fort Providence,
and were received by Mr. Weeks, a clerk of the North-West Company,
in charge of the establishment. I found several packets of
letters for the officers, which I was desirous of sending to them immediately
; but as the Indians and their wives complained of illness
and inability to return without rest, a flagon of mixed spirits was
given them, and their sorrows were soon forgotten. In a quarter of
an hour they pronounced themselves excellent hunters, and capable
of going any where; however, their boasting ceased with the last
drop of the bottle, when a crying scene took place, which would have
continued half the night, had not the magic of an additional quantity
of spirits dried their tears, and once more turned their mourning
into joy. Ijt was a satisfaction to me to behold these poor creatures
enjoying themselves, for they had behaved in the most exemplary
and active manner towards the party, and with a generosity and sympathy
seldom found even in the more civilized parts of the world:
and the attention and affection which they manifested towards then-
wives, evinced a benevolence of disposition and goodness of nature
which could not fail to secure the approbation of the most indifferent
observer.
“ The accounts I here received of our goods were of so unsatisfactory
a natures that l determined to proceed, as soon as the lake was frozen,
to Moose-Deer Island, or if necessary to the Athabasca Lake ; both
to inform myself of the grounds of the unceremonious and negligent
manner in which the Expedition had been treated, and to obtain a
sufficient supply of ammunition and other stores,; to enable it to
leave its; present situation, and proceed for the attainment of its
ultimate object.
“November 9.—I despatched to Fort Enterprise one of the men,
with the letters and a hundred musquet-balls, which Mr. Weeks lent
me on condition that they should be returned the first opportunity.
An Indian and his wife accompanied the messenger. Lieutenant
Franklin was made acquainted with the exact state of things; and I
awaited with much impatience the freezing of the lake.
“November 16.—A band of Slave Indians came to the Fort with a
few furs and some bears’ grease. Though we had not seen any of
them, it appeared that they had received information of our being in
the country, and knew the precise situation of our house, which they
would have visited long ago, but from the fear of being pillaged by
the Copper Indians. ,1 questioned the chief about the Great Bear
and Marten Lakes, their distance from Fort Enterprise, jj&c,; but his
answers were so vague and unsatisfactory that they were not worth
attention ; his description of Bouleau’s Koute, (which he said was the
shortest and best, and abundant in animals,) was very defective,
though the relative points were sufficiently characteristic, had we not
possessed a better route. He had never been at the sea; and knew
nothing about the mouth of the Copper-Mine River. In the evening
2 N a