Of spirits, already adulterated by the voyagers who had brought
them, a keg of flour and thirty-five pounds of sugar, instead of sixty.
The ammunition and tobacco, the two greatest requisites, were left
behind.
I lost no time in making a demand from both parties and, though their
united list did not furnish the half of what was required, yet it is
possible that everything was given by them which could be spared
consistently with their separate interests, particularly by Mr. McVicar
who in many articles gave me the whole he had in his possession. These
things were sent away immediately for Fort Enterprise, when an
interpreter arrived with letters from Lieutenant Franklin which referred
to a series of injurious reports said to have been propagated against us
by someone at Fort Providence.
Finding a sufficiency of goods could not be provided at Moose-Deer Island
I determined to proceed to the Athabasca Lake and ascertain the
inclinations of the gentlemen there. With this view I communicated my
intentions to both parties but could only get dogs enough from the
North-West Company to carry the necessary provisions for the journey.
Indeed Mr. Smith informed me plainly he was of opinion that nothing could
be spared at Fort Chipewyan, that goods had never been transported so
long a journey in the winter season, and that the same dogs could not
possibly go and return; besides it was very doubtful if I could be
provided with dogs there; and finally that the distance was great and
could take sixteen days to perform it. He added that the provisions would
be mouldy and bad and that from having to walk constantly on snowshoes I
should suffer a great deal of misery and fatigue. Notwithstanding these
assertions on the 23rd of December I left the fort with Beauparlant and a
Bois-brule, each having a sledge drawn by dogs, laden with pemmican. We
crossed an arm of the lake and entered the Little Buffalo River which is
connected with the Salt River and is about fifty yards wide at its
junction with the lake - the water is brackish. This route is usually
taken in the winter as it cuts off a large angle in going to the Great
Slave River. In the afternoon we passed two empty fishing-huts and in the
evening encamped amongst some high pines on the banks of the river having
had several snow-showers during the day which considerably impeded the
dogs so that we had not proceeded more than fifteen miles.
December 24 and 25.
We continued along the river, frequently making small portages to avoid
going round to the points, and passed some small canoes which the Indians
had left for the winter. The snow was so deep that the dogs were obliged
to stop every ten minutes to rest; and the cold so excessive that both
the men were badly frozen on both sides of the face and chin.
