men had great difficulty in making a fire. This proving insufficient
to warm us, or even thaw our shoes, and having no food to prepare,
we crept under our blankets. The arrival in a well-known part
raised the spirits of the men to a high pitch, and we kept up . a
cheerful conversation until sleep overpowered us. The night was
very stormy, and the morning scarcely less so; but, being desirous
to reach the house this day, we commenced our journey very early.
We were gratified by the sight of a large herd of rein-deer on the
side of the hill near the track, but our only hunter, Adam, was too
feeble to pursue them. Our shoes and garments were stiffened by
the frost, and we walked in great pain until we arrived at some
stunted pines, at which we halted, made a good fire, and procured
the refreshment of tea. The weather becoming fine in the afternoon,
we continued our journey, passed the Dog-rib Rock, and encamped
among a dump of pines of considerable growth, about a
mile further on. Here we enjoyed the comfort of a large fire, for
the first time since our departure from the sea-coast; but this
gratification was purchased at the expense of many severe falls in
crossing a stony valley, to get at these trees. These was no tripe de
roche, and we drank tea and ate some of our shoes for supper. Next
morning, after taking the usual repast of tea, we proceeded to the
house. Musing on what we were likely to find there, our minds
were agitated between hope and fear, and, contrary to the custom
we had kept up, of supporting our spirits by conversation, we went
silently forward.
At length we reached Fort Enterprise, and to our infinite disappointment
and grief found it a perfectly desolate habitation.
There was no deposit of provision, no trace of the Indians, no letter
from Mr. Wentzel to point out where the Indians might be found.
It would be impossible to describe our sensations after entering this
miserable abode, and discovering how we had been neglected: the
whole party shed tears, not so much for our own fate, as for that of
our friends in the rear, whose lives depended entirely on our sending
immediate relief from this place.
I found a note, however, from Mr. Back, stating that he had
reached the house two days before, and was going in search of the
Indians, at a part where St. Germain deemed it probable they might
be found. If he was unsuccessful, he purposed walking to Fort
Providence, and sending succour from thence; but he doubted
whether either he or his party could perform the journey to that
place in their present debilitated state. It was evident that any
supply that could be sent from Fort Providence would be long in
reaching us, neither could it be sufficient to enable us to afford any
assistance to our companions behind, and that the only relief for
them must be procured from the Indians. I resolved, therefore, on
going also in search of them; but my companions were absolutely
incapable of proceeding, and I thought by halting two or three days
they might gather a little strength, whilst the delay would afford us
the chance of learning whether Mr. Back had seen the. Indians.
\Ye now looked round for the means of subsistence, and were
gratified to find several deer skins, which had been thrown away
during our former residence. The bones were gathered from the
heap of ashes; these with the skins, and the addition of tripe de
roche, we considered would support us tolerably well for a time. As
to the house, the parchment being torn from the windows, the
apartment we selected for our abode was exposed to all the rigour of
the season. We endeavoured to exclude the wind as much as
possible, by placing loose boards against the apertures. The temperature
was now between 15° and 20° below zero. We procured
fuel by pulling up the flooring of the other rooms, and water for
cooking, by melting the snow. Whilst we were seated round the
fire, singeing the deer-skin for supper, we were rejoiced by the
unexpected entrance of Augustus. He had followed quite a different
course from ours, and the circumstance of his having found