It Will Be Seen Hereafter That I Had The Misfortune To Lose
My Portfolio Containing My Journals From Fort Enterprise To The 14th Of
September.
But the loss has been amply redeemed by my brother officers'
journals from which the narrative up to that period has been chiefly
compiled.)
DEPARTURE FROM FORT ENTERPRISE.
NAVIGATION OF THE COPPER-MINE RIVER.
VISIT TO THE COPPER MOUNTAIN.
INTERVIEW WITH THE ESQUIMAUX.
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIAN HUNTERS.
ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITH THEM FOR OUR RETURN.
DEPARTURE FROM FORT ENTERPRISE.
June 14, 1821.
The trains for the canoes having been finished during the night the party
attached to them commenced their journey at ten this morning. Each canoe
was dragged by four men assisted by two dogs. They took the route of
Winter Lake with the intention of following, although more circuitous,
the watercourse as far as practicable, it being safer for the canoes than
travelling overland. After their departure the remaining stores, the
instruments, and our small stock of dried meat, amounting only to eighty
pounds, were distributed equally among Hepburn, three Canadians, and the
two Esquimaux; with this party and two Indian hunters we quitted Fort
Enterprise, most sincerely rejoicing that the long-wished-for day had
arrived when we were to proceed towards the final object of the
Expedition.
We left in one of the rooms a box containing a journal of the occurrences
up to this date, the charts and some drawings, which was to be conveyed
to Fort Chipewyan by Mr. Wentzel on his return from the sea and thence to
be sent to England. The room was blocked up and, by the advice of Mr.
Wentzel, a drawing representing a man holding a dagger in a threatening
attitude was affixed to the door to deter any Indians from breaking it
open. We directed our course towards the Dog-Rib Rock but, as our
companions were loaded with the weight of near one hundred and eighty
pounds each, we of necessity proceeded at a slow pace. The day was
extremely warm and the mosquitoes, whose attacks had hitherto been
feeble, issued forth in swarms from the marshes and were very tormenting.
Having walked five miles we encamped near a small cluster of pines about
two miles from the Dog-Rib Rock. The canoe party had not been seen since
they set out. Our hunters went forward to Marten Lake, intending to wait
for us at a place where two deer were deposited. At nine P.M. the
temperature of the air was 63 degrees.
We resumed our march at an early hour and crossed several lakes which lay
in our course as the ice enabled the men to drag their burdens on trains
formed of sticks and deers' horns with more ease than they could carry
them on their backs. We were kept constantly wet by this operation as the
ice had broken near the shores of the lakes but this was little regarded
as the day was unusually warm, the temperature at two P.M. being at 82
1/2 degrees. At Marten Lake we joined the canoe party and encamped with
them. We had the mortification of learning from our hunters that the meat
they had put en cache here had been destroyed by the wolverines, and we
had in consequence to furnish the supper from our scanty stock of dried
meat. The wind changed from South-East to North-East in the evening and
the weather became very cold, the thermometer being at 43 degrees at nine
P.M. The few dwarf birches we could collect afforded fire insufficient to
keep us warm and we retired under the covering of our blankets as soon as
the supper was despatched. The North-East breeze rendered the night so
extremely cold that we procured but little sleep, having neither fire nor
shelter for, though we carried our tents, we had been forced to leave the
tent-poles which we could not now replace; we therefore gladly
recommenced the journey at five in the morning and travelled through the
remaining part of the lake on the ice. Its surface being quite smooth the
canoes were dragged along expeditiously by the dogs, and the rest of the
party had to walk very quick to keep pace with them, which occasioned
many severe falls. By the time we had reached the end of the lake the
wind had increased to a perfect gale and the atmosphere was so cold that
we could not proceed farther with the canoes without the risk of breaking
the bark and seriously injuring them; we therefore crossed Winter River
in them and put up in a well-sheltered place on a ridge of sandhills but,
as the stock of provision was scanty, we determined on proceeding as
quick as possible and leaving the canoe party under the charge of Mr.
Wentzel. We parted from them in the afternoon, and first directed our
course towards a range of hills where we expected to find Antonio
Fontano, who had separated from us in the morning. In crossing towards
these hills I fell through the ice into the lake with my bundle on my
shoulders but was soon extricated without any injury, and Mr. Back, who
left us to go in search of the straggler, met with a similar accident in
the evening. We put up on a ridge of sandhills where we found some pines,
and made a large fire to apprise Mr. Back and Fontano of our position.
St. Germain having killed a deer in the afternoon we received an
acceptable supply of meat. The night was stormy and very cold.
At five the next morning our men were sent in different directions after
our absent companions, but as the weather was foggy we despaired of
finding them unless they should chance to hear the muskets our people
were desired to fire. They returned however at ten, bringing intelligence
of them. I went immediately with Hepburn to join Mr. Back and directed
Mr. Hood to proceed with the Canadians and halt with them at the spot
where the hunters had killed a deer.
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