not divest themselves of the idea of our having lost our way, and
a gloom was spread over every countenance. At this encampment
Dr. Richardson was obliged to deposit his specimens of plants
and minerals, collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them
any farther. The way made to-day was five miles and a quarter.
September 22.—After walking about two miles this morning, we
came upon the borders of an extensive lake, whose extremities could
not be discerned in consequence of the density of the atmosphere t
but as its shores seemed to approach nearer to each other to the
southward than to the northward, we determined on tracing it in
that direction. We were grieved at finding the lake expand very
much beyond the contracted part we had first seen, and incline to
the eastward of south. As, however, it was considered more than
probable, from the direction and size of the body of water we were
now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake ; and as, in any case,
we knew that by passing round its south end, we must shortly come
to the Copper-Mine River, our course was continued in that
direction. The appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, larger
than usual, induced us to suppose the river was near.. We
encamped early, having come eight miles. Our supper consisted of
tripe de roche and half a partridge each.
Our progress next day was extremely slow, from the difficulty
of managing the canoe in passing over the hills, as the breeze was
fresh. Peltier who had it in charge, having received several severe
falls, became impatient, and insisted on leaving his burden, as it had
already been much injured by the accidents of this day; and no
arguments we could use were sufficient to prevail on him to continue
carrying it. YaiUant was, therefore, directed to take it, and we
proceeded forward. Having found that he got on very well, and
was walking even faster than Mr. Hood could follow, in his present
debilitated state, I pushed forward to stop the rest of the party,
who had got out of sight during the delay which the discussion
respecting the canoe had occasioned. I accidentally passed the
body of the men, and followed the tracks of two persons who had
separated from the rest, until two P.M., when not seeing any person,
I retraced my steps, and on my way met Dr. Richardson, who
had also missed the party whilst he was: employed gathering tripe de
roche, and we went back together in search of them. We found
they had halted among some willows, where they had picked up
some pieces of skin, and a few bones of deer that had been devoured
by the wolves last spring. They had rendered the bones friable by
burning, and eaten them as well as the skin; and several of them
had added their old shoes to the repast. Peltier and Vaillant were
with them, having left the canoe, which, they said, was so completely
broken by another fall, as to be rendered incapable of
repair, and entirely useless. The anguish this intelligence occasioned
may be conceived, but it is beyond my power to describe it.
Impressed, however, with the necessity of taking it forward, even in
the .state , these men represented it to be,-we urgently desired
them to fetch i t ; but they declined going, and the strength of
the officers was inadequate to the task. To their infatuated
obstinacy on this occasion, a great portion of the melancholy circumstances
which attended our subsequent progress may, perhaps, be
attributed. The men now seemed to have lost all hope of being
preserved ; and all the arguments we could use failed in stimulating
them to the least exertion. After consuming the remains of the
bones and horns of the deer, we resumed our march, and in the
evening, reached a contracted part of the lake, which, perceiving
it to be shallow, we forded, and encamped on the opposite .side.
Heavy rain began soon afterwards, and continued all night. On
the following morning the rain had so wasted the snow, that the
tracks of Mr. Back and his companions, who had gone before with
the hunters, were traced with difficulty; and the frequent showers
during the day almost obliterated them. The men became furious
at the apprehension of being deserted by the hunters, and some of
3 H