Soon Afterwards A Thick Fog Came On, But We Continued Our March
And Overtook Mr. Back, Who Had Been Detained In Consequence Of His
Companions Having Followed Some Recent Tracks Of Deer.
After halting an
hour, during which we refreshed ourselves with eating our old shoes and a
few scraps of
Leather, we set forward in the hope of ascertaining whether
an adjoining piece of water was the Copper-Mine River or not, but were
soon compelled to return and encamp for fear of a separation of the
party, as we could not see each other at ten yards' distance. The fog
diminishing towards evening, Augustus was sent to examine the water but,
having lost his way, he did not reach the tents before midnight when he
brought the information of its being a lake. We supped upon tripe de
roche and enjoyed a comfortable fire, having found some pines seven or
eight feet high in a valley near the encampment.
The bounty of Providence was most seasonably manifested to us next
morning in our killing five small deer out of a herd which came in sight
as we were on the point of starting. This unexpected supply reanimated
the drooping spirits of our men and filled every heart with gratitude.
The voyagers instantly petitioned for a day's rest which we were most
reluctant to grant, being aware of the importance of every moment at this
critical period of our journey. But they so earnestly and strongly
pleaded their recent sufferings and their conviction that the quiet
enjoyment of two substantial meals after eight days' famine would enable
them to proceed next day more vigorously, that we could not resist their
entreaties. The flesh, the skins, and even the contents of the stomachs
of the deer were equally distributed among the party by Mr. Hood who had
volunteered, on the departure of Mr. Wentzel, to perform the duty of
issuing the provision. This invidious task he had all along performed
with great impartiality, but seldom without producing some grumbling
amongst the Canadians, and on the present occasion the hunters were
displeased that the heads and some other parts had not been added to
their portions. It is proper to remark that Mr. Hood always took the
smallest portion for his own mess, but this weighed little with these men
as long as their own appetites remained unsatisfied. We all suffered much
inconvenience from eating animal food after our long abstinence, but
particularly those men who indulged themselves beyond moderation. The
Canadians, with their usual thoughtlessness, had consumed above a third
of their portions of meat that evening.
We set out early on the 26th and, after walking about three miles along
the lake, came to the river which we at once recognised from its size to
be the Copper-Mine. It flowed to the northward and, after winding about
five miles terminated in Point Lake. Its current was swift, and there
were two rapids in this part of its course which in a canoe we could have
crossed with ease and safety. These rapids, as well as every other part
of the river, were carefully examined in search of a ford but, finding
none, the expedients occurred of attempting to cross on a raft made of
the willows which were growing there, or in a vessel framed with willows
and covered with the canvas of the tents, but both these schemes were
abandoned through the obstinacy of the interpreters and the most
experienced voyagers, who declared that they would prove inadequate to
the conveyance of the party and that much time would be lost in the
attempt. The men in fact did not believe that this was the Copper-Mine
River and, so little confidence had they in our reckoning, and so much
had they bewildered themselves on the march, that some of them asserted
it was Hood's River and others that it was the Bethetessy. (A river which
rises from a lake to the northward of Rum Lake and holds a course to the
sea parallel with that of the Copper-Mine.) In short their despondency
had returned, and they all despaired of seeing Fort Enterprise again.
However the steady assurances of the officers that we were actually on
the banks of the Copper-Mine River, and that the distance to Fort
Enterprise did not exceed forty miles, made some impression upon them,
which was increased upon our finding some bear-berry plants (Arbutus uva
ursi) which are reported by the Indians not to grow to the eastward of
that river. They then deplored their folly and impatience in breaking the
canoe, being all of opinion that had it not been so completely demolished
on the 23rd it might have been repaired sufficiently to take the party
over. We again closely interrogated Peltier and Vaillant as to its state,
with the intention of sending for it; but they persisted in the
declaration that it was in a totally unserviceable condition. St.
Germain, being again called upon to endeavour to construct a canoe frame
with willows, stated that he was unable to make one sufficiently large.
It became necessary therefore to search for pines of sufficient size to
form a raft and, being aware that such trees grow on the borders of Point
Lake, we considered it best to trace its shores in search of them; we
therefore resumed our march, carefully looking but in vain for a fordable
part, and encamped at the east end of Point Lake.
As there was little danger of our losing the path of our hunters whilst
we coasted the shores of this lake I determined on again sending Mr. Back
forward with the interpreters to hunt. I had in view in this arrangement
the further object of enabling Mr. Back to get across the lake with two
of these men to convey the earliest possible account of our situation to
the Indians. Accordingly I instructed him to halt at the first pines he
should come to and then prepare a raft and, if his hunters had killed
animals so that the party could be supported whilst we were making our
raft, he was to cross immediately with St. Germain and Beauparlant and
send the Indians to us as quickly as possible with supplies of meat.
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