hensions with the least disguise, and again urgently applied to be
discharged; but only one of the Canadians made a similar request.
Judging that the constant occupation of their time as soon as we
were enabled to commence the voyage would prevent them from
eonjuring up so many causes of fear, and that familiarity with the
scenes on the coast, would in a short time enable them to give
scope to their natural cheerfulness* the officers endeavoured to
ridicule their fears, and happily succeeded for the present. The
manner in which our faithful Hepburn viewed the element to
which he had been so long accustomed, contributed not a little to
make them ashamed of their fears.
On the morning of the 19 th, Dr. Richardson, accompanied by
Augustus, paid another visit to Terregannceuck, to see if he could
obtain any additional information respecting the country to the
eastward; but he was disappointed at finding that his affrighted
family had not yet rejoined him, and the old man could add nothing
to his former communication. The Doctor remarked that Terregan-
noeuck had a great dislike to mentioning the name of the Copper-
Mine River, and evaded the question with much dexterity as often
as it was put to him; but that he willingly told the name of a
river to the eastward, and also of his tribe. He attempted to
persuade Augustus to remain with him, and offered him one of his
daughters for a wife. These Esquimaux strike fire with two stones,
catching the sparks in the down of the catkins of a willow.
The despatches being finished, were delivered this evening to
Mr. Wentzel, who parted from us at eight P.M. with Parent,
Gagnier, Dumas, and Forcier, Canadians, whom I had discharged
for the purpose of reducing our expenditure of provision as much
as possible. The remainder of the party including officers,
amounted to twenty persons. I made Mr. Wentzel acquainted
with the probable course of our future proceedings, and mentioned
to him that if we were far distant from this river, when the season
or other circumstances rendered it necessary to put a stop to our
advance, we should, in all probability be unable to return to it, and
should have to travel across the barren grounds towards some
established post: in which case I told him that we should certainly
go first to Fort Enterprise, expecting that he would cause the Indians
to place a supply of dried provision there, as soon as possible after
their arrival in its vicinity. My instructions to him were, that he
should proceed to Point Lake, transport the canoe that was left
there to Fort Enterprise, where he was to embark the instruments
and books, and carry them to Slave Lake, and to forward the box
containing the journals, <fc., with the present despatches, by the
next winter packet to England. But before he quitted Fort Enterprise,
he was to be assured of the intention of the Indians to
lay up the provision we required, and if they should be in want of
ammunition for that purpose to procure it if possible from Fort
Providence, or the other Forts in Slave Lake, and send it immediately
to them by the hunters who accompanied him thither. I
also requested him to ascertain from Akaitcho and the other leading
Indians, where their different parties would be hunting in the
months of September and October, and to leave this information
in a letter at Fort Enterprise, for our guidance in finding them,
as we should require their assistance. Mr. Wentzel was furnished
with a list of the stores that had been promised to Akaitcho and
his party as a remuneration for their services, as well as with an
official request to the North-West Company that these goods
might be paid to them on their next visit to Fort Providence,
which they expected to make in the latter part of November. I
desired him to mention this circumstance to the Indians as an
encouragement to exertion in our behalf, and to promise them an
additional reward for the supply of provision they should collect
at Fort Enterprise.