We were all cheered by the hope that the Indians would be found
by the one party and relief sent to the other. Those who remained
entreated us to make all the haste we could and expressed their hope of
seeing the Indians in ten or twelve days.
At first starting we were so feeble as scarcely to be able to move
forwards and the descent of the bank of the river through the deep snow
was a severe labour. When we came upon the ice where the snow was less
deep we got on better, but after walking six hours we had only gained
four miles and were then compelled by fatigue to encamp on the borders of
Round-Rock Lake. Augustus tried for fish here but without success so that
our fare was skin and tea. Composing ourselves to rest we lay close to
each other for warmth. We found the night bitterly cold and the wind
pierced through our famished frames.
The next morning was mild and pleasant for travelling and we set out
after breakfast. We had not however gone many yards before I had the
misfortune to break my snowshoes by falling between two rocks. This
accident prevented me from keeping pace with Benoit and Augustus and in
the attempt I became quite exhausted. Feeling convinced that their being
delayed on my account might prove of fatal consequence to the rest I
resolved on returning to the house and letting them proceed alone in
search of the Indians. I therefore halted them only whilst I wrote a note
to Mr. Back, stating the reason of my return, and desiring he would send
meat from Reindeer Lake by these men if St. Germain should kill any
animals there. If Benoit should miss Mr. Back I directed him to proceed
to Fort Providence and furnished him with a letter to the gentleman in
charge of it, requesting that immediate supplies might be sent to us.
On my return to the house I found Samandre very dispirited and too weak,
as he said, to render any assistance to Peltier, upon whom the whole
labour of getting wood and collecting the means of subsistence would have
devolved. Conscious too that his strength would have been unequal to
these tasks they had determined upon taking only one meal each day, so
that I felt my going back particularly fortunate as I hoped to stimulate
Samandre to exertion and at any rate could contribute some help to
Peltier. I undertook the office of cooking and insisted they should eat
twice a day whenever food could be procured but, as I was too weak to
pound the bones, Peltier agreed to do that in addition to his more
fatiguing task of getting wood. We had a violent snow-storm all the next
day and this gloomy weather increased the depression of spirits under
which Adam and Samandre were labouring. Neither of them would quit their
beds and they scarcely ceased from shedding tears all day; in vain did
Peltier and myself endeavour to cheer them. We had even to use much
entreaty before they would take the meals we had prepared for them. Our
situation was indeed distressing but in comparison with that of our
friends in the rear we thought it happy. Their condition gave us
unceasing solicitude and was the principal subject of our conversation.
Though the weather was stormy on the 26th Samandre assisted me to gather
tripe de roche. Adam, who was very ill and could not now be prevailed
upon to eat this weed, subsisted principally on bones, though he also
partook of the soup. The tripe de roche had hitherto afforded us our
chief support, and we naturally felt great uneasiness at the prospect of
being deprived of it by its being so frozen as to render it impossible
for us to gather it.
We perceived our strength decline every day and every exertion began to
be irksome; when we were once seated the greatest effort was necessary in
order to rise, and we had frequently to lift each other from our seats,
but even in this pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully, being
sanguine as to the speedy arrival of the Indians. We calculated indeed
that if they should be near the situation where they had remained last
winter our men would have reached them by this day. Having expended all
the wood which we could procure from our present dwelling, without danger
of its fall, Peltier began this day to pull down the partitions of the
adjoining houses. Though these were only distant about twenty yards yet
the increase of labour in carrying the wood fatigued him so much that by
the evening he was exhausted. On the next day his weakness was such,
especially in the arms of which he chiefly complained, that he with
difficulty lifted the hatchet; still he persevered whilst Samandre and I
assisted him in bringing in the wood, but our united strength could only
collect sufficient to replenish the fire four times in the course of the
day. As the insides of our mouths had become sore from eating the
bone-soup we relinquished the use of it and now boiled the skin, which
mode of dressing we found more palatable than frying it, as we had
hitherto done.
On the 29th Peltier felt his pains more severe and could only cut a few
pieces of wood. Samandre, who was still almost as weak, relieved him a
little time and I aided them in carrying in the wood. We endeavoured to
pick some tripe de roche but in vain as it was entirely frozen. In
turning up the snow, in searching for bones, I found several pieces of
bark which proved a valuable acquisition as we were almost destitute of
dry wood proper for kindling the fire.
