We learned from him that,
notwithstanding his endeavours to persuade them, his most experienced
voyagers still declined engaging without very exorbitant wages. After
some hesitation however six men engaged with us who were represented to
be active and steady; and I also got Mr. Robertson's permission for St.
Germain, an interpreter belonging to this Company, to accompany us from
Slave Lake if he should choose. The bowmen and steersmen were to receive
one thousand six hundred livres Halifax per annum, and the middle men one
thousand two hundred, exclusive of their necessary equipments; and they
stipulated that their wages should be continued until their arrival in
Montreal or their rejoining the service of their present employers.
I delivered to Mr. Robertson an official request that the stores we had
left at York Factory and the Rock Depot with some other supplies might be
forwarded to Slave Lake by the first brigade of canoes which should come
in. He also took charge of my letters addressed to the Admiralty. Five
men were afterwards engaged from the North-West Company for the same
wages and under the same stipulations as the others, besides an
interpreter for the Copper Indians; but this man required three thousand
livres Halifax currency which we were obliged to give him as his services
were indispensable.
The extreme scarcity of provision at the posts rendered it necessary to
despatch all our men to the Mammawee Lake where they might procure their
own subsistence by fishing. The women and children resident at the fort
were also sent away for the same purpose; and no other families were
permitted to remain at the houses after the departure of the canoes than
those belonging to the men who were required to carry on the daily duty.
The large party of officers and men which had assembled here from the
different posts in the department was again quickly dispersed. The first
brigade of canoes laden with furs was despatched to the depot on May 30th
and the others followed in two or three days afterwards. Mr. Stuart, the
senior partner of the North-West Company, quitted us for the same
destination on June 4th; Mr. Robertson for his depot on the next day; and
on the 9th we parted with our friend Mr. Keith, to whose unremitting
kindness we felt much indebted. I entrusted to his care a box containing
some drawings by Mr. Back, the map of our route from Cumberland House,
and the skin of a black beaver (presented to the Expedition by Mr. Smith)
with my official letters addressed to the Under-Secretary of State. I
wrote by each of these gentlemen to inform Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood of
the scarcity of stores at these posts and to request them to procure all
they possibly could on their route. Mr. Smith was left in charge of this
post during the summer; this gentleman soon evinced his desire to further
our progress by directing a new canoe to be built for our use which was
commenced immediately.
