Blankets, cloth, and iron-work were scarcely less
indispensable to equip our men for the advance next season.
Mr. Wentzel accompanied Mr. Back to assist him in obtaining from the
traders, on the score of old friendship, that which they might be
inclined to deny to our necessities. I forwarded by them letters to the
Colonial Office and Admiralty detailing the proceedings of the Expedition
up to this period.
On the 22nd we were surprised by a visit from a dog; the poor animal was
in low condition and much fatigued. Our Indians discovered by marks on
his ears that he belonged to the Dog-Ribs. This tribe, unlike the
Chipewyans and Copper Indians, had preserved that useful associate of man
although, from their frequent intercourse with the latter people, they
were not ignorant of the prediction alluded to in a former page. One of
our interpreters was immediately despatched with an Indian to endeavour
to trace out the Dog-Ribs, whom he supposed might be concealed in the
neighbourhood from their dread of the Copper Indians; although we had no
doubt of their coming to us were they aware of our being here. The
interpreter however returned without having discovered any traces of
strange Indians, a circumstance which led us to conclude that the dog had
strayed from his masters a considerable time before.
Towards the end of the month the men completed their house and took up
their abode in it. It was thirty-four feet long and eighteen feet wide,
was divided into two apartments and was placed at rightangles to the
officers' dwelling and facing the storehouse, the three buildings forming
three sides of a quadrangle.
On the 26th Akaitcho and his party arrived, the hunting in this
neighbourhood being terminated for the season by the deer having retired
southward to the shelter of the woods.
The arrival of this large party was a serious inconvenience to us from
our being compelled to issue them daily rates of provision from the
store. The want of ammunition prevented us from equipping and sending
them to the woods to hunt and, although they are accustomed to subsist
themselves for a considerable part of the year by fishing or snaring the
deer, without having recourse to firearms, yet on the present occasion
they felt little inclined to do so and gave scope to their natural love
of ease as long as our storehouse seemed to be well stocked. Nevertheless
as they were conscious of impairing our future resources they did not
fail occasionally to remind us that it was not their fault, to express an
ardent desire to go hunting, and to request a supply of ammunition
although they knew that it was not in our power to give it.
