the strongest throwing down their bundles, prepared to set out after
them, intending to leave the more weak to follow as they could.
The entreaties and threats of the officers, however, prevented their
executing this mad scheme; but not hefore Solomon Belanger was
despatched with orders for Mr. Back to halt until we should join
him. Soon afterwards a thick fog came on, but we continued our
march and overtook Mr. Back, who had been detained in consequence
of his companions having followed some recent tracks of
deer. After halting an hour, during which w«e refreshed ourselves
with eating our old shoes, and a few scraps of leather, we set forward
in the hope of ascertaining whether an adjoining piece of water was
the Copper-Mine River or not, but were soon compelled to return
and encamp, for fear of a separation of the party, as we could not
see each other at ten yards’ distance. The fog diminishing towards
evening, Augustus was sent to examine the water, but having lost
his way he did not reach the tents before midnight, when he
brought the information of its being a lake. We supped upon
tripe de roche*, and enjoyed a comfortable fire, having found some
pines, seven or eight feet high, in a valley near the encampment.
The bounty of Providence was most seasonably manifested to us
next morning, in our killing five small deer out of a herd, which
came in sight as we were on the point of starting. This unexpected
supply re-animated the drooping spirits of our men, and filled every
heart with gratitude.
The voyagers instantly petitioned for a day’s rest, which we were
most reluctant to grant, being aware of the importance of every
moment at this critical period of our journey. But they so earnestly
and strongly pleaded their recent sufferings, and their conviction,
that the quiet enjoyment of two substantial meals, after eight days’
famine, would enable them to proceed next day more vigorously,
* The different kinds of gyrephora, termed indiscriminately by the voyagers tripe de
r oche, are represented in Plate 30.
that we could not resist their entreaties. The flesh, the skins, and
even the contents of the stomachs of the deer were equally distributed
among the party by Mr. Hood, who had volunteered, on the
departure of Mr. Wentzel, to perform the duty of issuing the provision.
This invidious task he had all along performed with great
impartiality, but seldom without producing some grumbling amongst
the Canadians; and, on the present occasion, the hunters were displeased
that the heads, and some other parts, had not been added
to their portions. It is proper to remark, that Mr. Hood always
took the smallest portion for his own mess, but this weighed little
with these men, as long as their own appetites remained unsatisfied.
We all suffered much inconvenience from eating animal food after
our long abstinence, but particularly those men who indulged themselves
beyond moderation. The Canadians, with their usual thoughtlessness,
consumed above a third of their portions of meat that
evening.
We set out early on the 26th, and after walking about three miles
along the lake, came to the river, which we at once recognised, from
its size, to be the Copper-Mine. It flowed to the northward, and
after winding about five miles, terminated in Point Lake. Its
current was swift, and there were two rapids in this part of its
course, which in a canoe we could have crossed with ease and safety.
These rapids, as well as every other part of the river, were carefully
examined in search of a ford; but finding none, the expedients
occurred, of attempting to cross on a raft made of the willows which
were growing there, or in a vessel framed with willows, and covered
with the canvass of the tents; but both these schemes were
abandoned, through the obstinacy of the interpreters and the most
experienced voyagers, who declared that they would prove inadequate
to the conveyance of the party, and that much time would be
lost in the attempt. The men, in fact, did not believe that this was
the Copper-Mine River, and so little confidence had they in our rec-
3 H 2