are tolerably numerous, we may get plenty before you can embark
on the river.”
Whilst the Indians were packing up this morning, one of the
women absconded. She belongs to the Dog-rib tribe, and had been
taken by force from her relations by her present husband, who
treated her very harshly. The fellow was in my room when his
mother announced the departure of his wife, and received the intelligence
with great composure, as well as the seasonable reproof
of Akaitcho. “You are rightly served,” said the chief to him, “ and
will now have to carry all your things yourself, instead of having a
wife to drag them.” One hunter remained after the departure of
the other Indians.
On the 5th the Dog-rib woman presented herself on a hill at some
distance from the house, but was afraid to approach us, until the
interpreter went and told her that neither we nor the Indian who
remained with us, would prevent her from going where she pleased.
Upon this she came to solicit a fire-steel and kettle. She was at first
low-spirited, from the non-arrival of a country-woman who had
promised to elope with her, but had probably been too narrowly
Watched. The Indian hunter, however, although a brother of one
of the men to whom she had belonged, kindly gave her some
directions as to the proper mode of joining her own tribe, after
which she became more composed, and ultimately agreed to adopt
his advice of proceeding at once to Fort Providence, instead of
wandering about the country all summer in search of them, at the
imminent hazard of being starved.
On the 7th the wind, shifting to the southward, dispersed the
clouds which had obscured the sky for several days, and produced a
change of temperature under which the snow rapidly disappeared.
The thermometer rose to 73°, many flies came forth, musquitoes
shewed themselves for the first time, and one swallow made its
appearance. We were the more gratified with these indications of
summer, that St. Germain was enabled to commence the repair of the
canoes, and before night had completed the two which had received
the least injury. Augustus killed two deer to-day.
On the 10th the . dip of the magnetic needle being observed,
shewed a decrease of :22' 44" since last autumn. The repairs of the
third canoe were finished this evening.
The snow was confined to the bases of the hills, and our Indian
hunter told us the season was early. The operations of nature,
however, seemed to us very tardy. We were eager to be gone, and
dreaded the lapse of summer, before the Indians would allow it had
begun.
On the 11th the geese and ducks had left the vicinity of Fort
Enterprise, and proceeded to the northward. Some young ravens
and whiskey-johns made their appearance at this time.
On the 12th Winter River was nearly cleared of ice, and on the
13th the men returned, having left Dr. Richardson on the borders of
Point Lake. Dr. Richardson informed me by letter that the snow
was deeper in many parts near his encampment than it had been at
any time last winter near Fort Enterprise, and that the ice on Point
T.jtkft had scarcely begun to decay. Although the voyagers were
much fatigued on their arrival, and had eaten nothing for the last
twenty-four hours, they were very cheerful, and expressed a desire to
start with the remainder of the stores next morning. The Dog-rib
woman, who had lingered about the house since the 6th of June,
took alarm at the approach of our men, thinking, perhaps, that they
were accompanied by Indians, and ran off. She was now provided
with a hatchet, kettle, and fire-steel, and would probably go at once
to Fort Providence, in the expectation of meeting with some of
her countrymen before the end of summer.
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