T he morning of the 31st was very cold, the wind being strong
from the north. Hepburn went again in quest of deer, and the
Doctor endeavoured to kill some partridges: both were unsuccessful.
A large herd of deer passed close to the house, the Doctor fired
once at them, but was unable to pursue them. Adam was easier
this day, and left his bed. Peltier and Samandre were much weaker,
and could not assist in the labours of the day. Both complained
of soreness in the throat, and Samandre suffered much from cramps
in his fingers. The Doctor and Hepburn began this day to cut the
wood, and also brought it to the house. Being too weak to aid in
these laborious tasks, I was employed in searching for bones, and
cooking, and attending to our more weakly companions.
In the evening Peltier, complaining much of cold, requested of
me a portion of a blanket to repair his shirt and drawers. The
mending of these articles occupied him and Samandrfe until past one
A.M., and their spirits were so much revived by the employment,
that they conversed even cheerfully the whole time. Adam sat up
with them. The Doctor, Hepburn, and myself, went to bed. We
were afterwards agreeably surprised to see Peltier and Samandri
carry three or four logs of wood across the room to replenish the fire,
which induced us to hope they still possessed more strength than we
had supposed.
November 1.—This day was fine and mild. Hepburn went
hunting, but was as usual unsuccessful. As his strength was rapidly
declining, we advised him to desist from the pursuit of deer; and
only to go out for a short time, and endeavour to kill a few partridges
for Peltier and Samandre. The Doctor obtained a little tripe de
roche, but Peltier could not eat any of it, and Samandrfe only a few
spoonfuls, owing to the soreness of their throats. In the afternoon
Peltier was so much exhausted, that he sat up with difficulty, and
looked pitiously; at length he slided from his stool upon his bed,
as we supposed to sleep, and in this composed state he remained upwards
of two hours, without our apprehending any danger. We were
then alarmed by hearing a rattling in his throat, and on the Doctor’s
examining him he was found to be speechless. He died in the course
of the night. Samandre sat up the greater part of the day, and even
assisted in pounding some bones; but on witnessing the melancholy
state of Peltier, he became very low, and began to complain of cold
and stiffness of the joints. Being unable to keep up a sufficient fire
to warm him, we laid him down and covered him with several
blankets. He did not, however, appear to get better, and I deeply
lament to add he also died before day-light. We removed the
bodies of the deceased into the opposite part of the house, but our
united strength was inadequate to the task of interring them, or
even carrying them down to the river.
It may be worthy of remark that poor Peltier, from the time of
Benoit’s departure, had fixed on the first of November as the time
when he should cease to expect any relief from the Indians, and had
repeatedly said that if they did not arrive by that day, he should not
surPveivltei.e r had endeared himself to each of us by hi.s cheerfulness, his
unceasing activity, and affectionate care and attentions, ever since
our arrival at this place. He had nursed Adam with the tenderest
solicitude the whole time. Poor Samandrb was willing to have
taken his share in the labours of the party, had he not been wholly
incapacitated by his weakness and low spirits. The severe shock
occasioned by the sudden dissolution of our two companions rendered
us very melancholy. Adam became low and despondent, a change
which we lamented the more, as we had perceived he had been
gaining strength and spirits for the two preceding days. I was particularly distressed by the thought that the labour of collecting
wood must now devolve upon Dr. Richardson and Hepburn, and
that my debility would disable me from affording them any material
assistance ; indeed both of them most kindly urged me not . to make