casses- of 180 deer, together with 1000 pounds of suet, and some dried meat; and had, moreover, eighty deer stowed up at various distances from the house. The fishing failed as the weather became more severe, and was given up on the 5th. It had procured us about 1200 white fish from two to three pounds each.”
But this stock of provision was barely sufficient for the party at Fort Enterprise, including the Indians and their families, who returned from hunting before the end of the month, and gave scope to their natural love of ease as long as there seemed plenty in store.
On the 18th of October, Messrs. Back and Wentzel set out for Fort Providence, accompanied by two Canadians, two Indians, and the wives of the latter. Mr. Back had most handsomely volunteered to go and make the necessary arrangements for transporting the stores expected from Cumberland House, and to endeavour to obtain some additional supplies from the establishment at Slave Lake. If any accident should have prevented the arrival of the stores, and the Company’s[errata 1] establishments at Moose-deer Island should be unable to supply the deficiency, he was, if he found himself equal to the task, to proceed to Chipewyan.
“Ammunition,” says his commander, “was essential to our existence, and a considerable supply of tobacco was also requisite, not only for the comfort of the Canadians, who use it largely, and had stipulated for it in their engagements, but also as a means of preserving the friendship of the Indians. Blankets, cloth, and iron-work, were scarcely less indispensable to equip our men for the advance next season. Mr. Wentzel accompanied Mr. Back, to assist him in obtaining from the traders, on the score of old friendship, that which they might be inclined to deny to our necessities.
“Towards the end of October, the men completed their house, and took up their abode in it. It was 34 feet long and 18 feet wide, divided into two apartments, and placed at right angles to the officers’ dwelling; as was also the store-house. The weather in December, 1820, was the coldest we experienced during our residence in America. The thermometer sunk on one occasion to 57° below zero, and never rose beyond 6° above it: the mean for the month was -29.7°. The trees froze to their very centres, and became as hard as stones, and more difficult to cut. Some of the axes were broken daily, and by the end of the month we bad but one left that was fit for felling trees. By entrusting it only to one ot the party, who had been bred a carpenter, and who could use it with dexterity, it was fortunately preserved until the arrival of our men withErrata:
- ↑ Correction: Company’s should be amended to Companies’
