360 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
If Mr. Wentzel met the Hook, or any of his party, he was
instructed to assure them that he was provided with the necessary
documents to get them payment for any meat they should put en
cache for our use; and to acquaint them, that we fully* relied on
their fulfilling every part of the agreement they had made with us.
Whenever the Indians, whom he was to join at the Copper-Mountains,
killed any animals on their way to Fort Enterprise, he was
requested to put en cache whatever meat could be spared, placing
conspicuous marks to guide us to them; and I particularly begged
he would employ them in hunting in our service, immediately after
his arrival at the house.
When Mr. Wentzel’s party had been supplied with ammunition,
our remaining stock consisted of one thousand balls, and rather more
than the requisite proportion of powder. A bag of small shot was
missing, and we afterwards discovered that the Canadians had
secreted and distributed it among themselves, in order that when
provision should become scarce, they might privately procure
ducks and geese, and avoid the necessity of sharing them with the
officers.
The situation of our encampment was ascertained to be, latitude
67° 47' 50" N., longitude 115° 36' 49” W., the variation of the compass
46° 25' 52" E., and dip of the needle 88° 5' 07".
It will be perceived, that the position of the mouth of the river,
given by our observations, differs widely from that assigned by
Mr. Hearne; but the accuracy of his description, conjoined with
Indian information, assured us that we were at the very part he
visited. I therefore named the most conspicuous cape we then
saw “ Cape Hearne,” as a just tribute to the memory of that persevering
traveller. I distinguished another cape by the name of
Mackenzie, in honour of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, the only other
European* who had before reached the Northern Ocean. I called
* Captain Parry’s success was at this time unknown to us.