HOOD. DEATH OF SEVERAL OF THE CANADIANS.
Whilst we were seated round the fire this evening, discoursing about the
anticipated relief, the conversation was suddenly interrupted by
Peltier's exclaiming with joy "Ah! le monde!" imagining that he heard the
Indians in the other room; immediately afterwards to his bitter
disappointment Dr. Richardson and Hepburn entered, each carrying his
bundle. Peltier however soon recovered himself enough to express his
delight at their safe arrival and his regret that their companions were
not with them. When I saw them alone my own mind was instantly filled
with apprehensions respecting my friend Hood and our other companions,
which were immediately confirmed by the Doctor's melancholy communication
that Mr. Hood and Michel were dead. Perrault and Fontano had neither
reached the tent nor been heard of by them. This intelligence produced a
melancholy despondency in the minds of my party and on that account the
particulars were deferred until another opportunity. We were all shocked
at beholding the emaciated countenances of the Doctor and Hepburn as they
strongly evidenced their extremely debilitated state. The alteration in
our appearance was equally distressing to them for since the swellings
had subsided we were little more than skin and bone. The Doctor
particularly remarked the sepulchral tone of our voices which he
requested us to make more cheerful if possible, unconscious that his own
partook of the same key.
Hepburn, having shot a partridge which was brought to the house, the
Doctor tore out the feathers and, having held it to the fire a few
minutes, divided it into six portions. I and my three companions
ravenously devoured our shares as it was the first morsel of flesh any of
us had tasted for thirty-one days, unless indeed the small gristly
particles which we found occasionally adhering to the pounded bones may
be termed flesh. Our spirits were revived by this small supply and the
Doctor endeavoured to raise them still higher by the prospect of
Hepburn's being able to kill a deer next day, as they had seen and even
fired at several near the house. He endeavoured too to rouse us into some
attention to the comfort of our apartment, and particularly to roll up in
the day our blankets which (expressly for the convenience of Adam and
Samandre) we had been in the habit of leaving by the fire where we lay on
them. The Doctor having brought his prayer-book and testament, some
prayers and psalms and portions of scripture appropriate to our situation
were read and we retired to bed.
Next morning the Doctor and Hepburn went out early in search of deer, but
though they saw several herds and fired some shots they were not so
fortunate as to kill any, being too weak to hold their guns steadily. The
cold compelled the former to return soon but Hepburn persisted until late
in the evening.
My occupation was to search for skins under the snow, it being now our
object immediately to get all that we would, but I had not strength to
drag in more than two of those which were within twenty yards of the
house until the Doctor came and assisted me. We made up our stock to
twenty-six but several of them were putrid and scarcely eatable, even by
men suffering the extremity of famine. Peltier and Samandre continued
very weak and dispirited and they were unable to cut firewood. Hepburn
had in consequence that laborious task to perform after he came back. The
Doctor having scarified the swelled parts of Adam's body a large quantity
of water flowed out, and he obtained some ease but still kept his bed.
After our usual supper of singed skin and bone-soup Dr. Richardson
acquainted me with the afflicting circumstances attending the death of
Mr. Hood and Michel, and detailed the occurrences subsequent to my
departure from them which I shall give from his Journal in his own words,
but I must here be permitted to express the heart-felt sorrow with which
I was overwhelmed at the loss of so many companions, especially of my
friend Mr. Hood to whose zealous and able cooperation I had been indebted
for so much invaluable assistance during the Expedition, whilst the
excellent qualities of his heart engaged my warmest regard. His
scientific observations together with his maps and drawings (a small part
of which only appear in this work) evince a variety of talent which, had
his life been spared, must have rendered him a distinguished ornament to
his profession, and which will cause his death to be felt as a loss to
the service.
...
DR. RICHARDSON'S NARRATIVE.
After Captain Franklin had bidden us farewell we remained seated by the
fireside as long as the willows the men had cut for us before they
departed lasted. We had no tripe de roche that day but drank an infusion
of the country tea-plant, which was grateful from its warmth although it
afforded no sustenance. We then retired to bed where we remained all the
next day as the weather was stormy, and the snow-drift so heavy as to
destroy every prospect of success in our endeavours to light a fire with
the green and frozen willows which were our only fuel. Through the
extreme kindness and forethought of a lady the party, previous to leaving
London, had been furnished with a small collection of religious books, of
which we still retained two or three of the most portable, and they
proved of incalculable benefit to us. We read portions of them to each
other as we lay in bed, in addition to the morning and evening service,
and found that they inspired us on each perusal with so strong a sense of
the omnipresence of a beneficent God that our situation even in these
wilds appeared no longer destitute, and we conversed not only with
calmness but with cheerfulness, detailing with unrestrained confidence
the past events of our lives and dwelling with hope on our future
prospects.
