Just Before Noon The Sun Beamed Through The Haze For The First Time For
Six Days And We Obtained An Observation In Latitude 65 Degrees 7 Minutes
06 Seconds North, Which Was Six Miles To The Southward Of That Part Of
Point Lake To The Way Our Course Was Directed.
By this observation we
discovered that we had kept to the eastward of the proper course, which
may be
Attributed partly to the difficulty of preserving a straight line
through an unknown country, unassisted by celestial observations and in
such thick weather that our view was often limited to a few hundred
yards, but chiefly to our total ignorance of the amount of the variation
of the compass.
We altered the course immediately to west-south-west and fired guns to
apprise the hunters who were out of our view and ignorant of our having
done so. After walking about two miles we waited to collect the
stragglers. Two partridges were killed and these with some tripe de roche
furnished our supper. Notwithstanding a full explanation was given to the
men of the reasons for altering the course, and they were assured that
the observation had enabled us to discover our exact distance from Fort
Enterprise, they could not divest themselves of the idea of our having
lost our way, and a gloom was spread over every countenance. At this
encampment Dr. Richardson was obliged to deposit his specimens of plants
and minerals collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them any
farther. The way made today was five miles and a quarter.
September 22.
After walking about two miles this morning we came upon the borders of an
extensive lake whose extremities could not be discerned in consequence of
the density of the atmosphere but, as its shores seemed to approach
nearer to each other to the southward than to the northward, we
determined on tracing it in that direction. We were grieved at finding
the lake expand very much beyond the contracted part we had first seen
and incline to the eastward of south. As however it was considered more
than probable, from the direction and size of the body of water we were
now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake, and as in any case we
knew that by passing round its south end we must shortly come to the
Copper-Mine River, our course was continued in that direction. The
appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, larger than usual, induced us
to suppose the river was near. We encamped early having come eight miles.
Our supper consisted of tripe de roche and half a partridge each.
Our progress next day was extremely slow from the difficulty of managing
the canoe in passing over the hills as the breeze was fresh. Peltier, who
had it in charge, having received several severe falls, became impatient
and insisted on leaving his burden as it had already been much injured by
the accidents of this day, and no arguments we could use were sufficient
to prevail on him to continue carrying it. Vaillant was therefore
directed to take it and we proceeded forward. Having found that he got on
very well and was walking even faster than Mr. Hood could follow in his
present debilitated state, I pushed forward to stop the rest of the party
who had got out of sight during the delay which the discussion respecting
the canoe had occasioned. I accidentally passed the body of the men and
followed the tracks of two persons who had separated from the rest until
two P.M. when, not seeing any person, I retraced my steps, and on my way
met Dr. Richardson who had also missed the party whilst he was employed
gathering tripe de roche, and we went back together in search of them. We
found they had halted among some willows where they had picked up some
pieces of skin and a few bones of deer that had been devoured by the
wolves last spring. They had rendered the bones friable by burning and
eaten them as well as the skin; and several of them had added their old
shoes to the repast. Peltier and Vaillant were with them, having left the
canoe which they said was so completely broken by another fall as to be
rendered incapable of repair and entirely useless. The anguish this
intelligence occasioned may be conceived but it is beyond my power to
describe it. Impressed however with the necessity of taking it forward,
even in the state these men represented it to be, we urgently desired
them to fetch it, but they declined going and the strength of the
officers was inadequate to the task. To their infatuated obstinacy on
this occasion a great portion of the melancholy circumstances which
attended our subsequent progress may perhaps be attributed. The men now
seemed to have lost all hope of being preserved and all the arguments we
could use failed in stimulating them to the least exertion. After
consuming the remains of the bones and horns of the deer we resumed our
march, and in the evening reached a contracted part of the lake which,
perceiving it to be shallow, we forded and encamped on the opposite side.
Heavy rain began soon afterwards and continued all night. On the
following morning the rain had so wasted the snow that the tracks of Mr.
Back and his companions, who had gone before with the hunters, were
traced with difficulty, and the frequent showers during the day almost
obliterated them. The men became furious at the apprehension of being
deserted by the hunters and some of the strongest, throwing down their
bundles, prepared to set out after them, intending to leave the more weak
to follow as they could. The entreaties and threats of the officers
however prevented their executing this mad scheme, but not before Solomon
Belanger was despatched with orders for Mr. Back to halt until we should
join him.
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