place amongst them ; and I am sorry to say the stubborn resolution
of my men, not to go to the house, prevented me from determining
this most anxious point, so that I now almost dreaded passing their
encampments, lest I should see some of our unfortunate friends dead
at each spot. Our fire was hardly kindled, when a fine herd of deer
passed close to us. St. Germain pursued them a short distance, but
with his usual want of success; so that we made a meal off the
muscles and sinews we had dried, though they were so tough that
we could scarcely cut them. My hands were benumbed throughout
the march, and we were all stiff and fatigued. The marching of two
days weakened us all very much, and the more so on account of our
exertion to follow the tracks of our Commander’s party ; but we lost
them, and concluded that they were not before us. Though the
weather was not cold, I was frozen in the face, and was so reduced
and affected by these constant calamities, as well in mind as in body,
that I found much difficulty in proceeding even with the advantages
I had enjoyed.
November 3.—We set out before day, though, in fact, we were all
much fitter to remain, from the excessive pain which we suffered in
our joints, and proceeded till one P.M., without halting, when
Belanger, who was before, stopped, and cried out, “ Footsteps of
Indians.” It is needless to mention the joy that brightened the
countenances of each at this unlooked-for sight; we knew relief
must be at hand, and considered our sufferings at an end. St. Germain
inspected the tracks, and said that three persons had passed
the day before ; and that he knew the remainder must be advancing
to the southward, as was customary with these Indians, when they
sent to the trading establishment on the first ice. On this information
we encamped, and being too weak to walk myself, I sent
St. Germain to follow the tracks, with instructions to the chief of
the Indians to provide immediate assistance for such of our friends
as might be at Fort Enterprise, as well as for ourselves, and to lose
no time in returning to me. I was now so exhausted, that had we
not seen the tracks this day, I must have remained at the next encampment,
until the men could have sent aid from Fort Providence.
We had finished our small portion of sinews, and were preparing for
rest, when an Indian boy made his appearance with meat. St. Germain
had arrived , before sunset at the tents of Akaitcho, whom he
found at the spot where he had wintered last year; but imagine my
surprise, when he gave me a note from the Commander, and said,
that Benoit and Augustus, two of the men, had just joined them.
The note .was so confused, by the pencil marks being partly rubbed
out, that I could not decipher it clearly;. but it informed me, that
he had attempted to come with the two men, but finding his
strength inadequate to the task, he relinquished his design, and returned
to Fort Enterprise, to await relief with the others. There
was another note for the gentleman in charge of Fort Providence,
desiring him to send meat, blankets, shoes, and tobacco. Akaitcho
wished me to join him on the ensuing day, at a place which the boy
knew, where they were going to fish; and I was the more anxious
to do so, on account of my companions ; but particularly that I
might hear a full relation of what had happened, and of the Commander’s
true situation, which I suspected to be much worse than
he had described.
In the afternoon I joined the Indians, and repeated to Akaitcho
what St. Germain had told him ; he seemed much affected, and said,
he would have sent relief directly, though I had not been there;
indeed, his conduct was generous and humane. The next morning,
at an early hour, three Indians, with loaded sledges of meat, skins,
shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort Enterprise; one of them was
to return directly with an answer from Captain Franklin, to whom I
wrote ; but in the event of his death, he was to bring away all the
papers he could find; and he promised to travel with such haste, as
to be able to return to us on the fourth day. I was now somewhat