We Coasted Along The
Eastern Side Of The Bay, Its Western Shore Being Always Visible, But The
Canoes Were Exposed To The Hazard Of Being Broken By The Numerous Sunken
Rocks Which Were Scattered In Our Track.
We encamped for the night on a
rocky island and by eight A.M. on the following morning arrived at Fort
Providence which is situated twenty-one miles from the entrance of the
bay.
The post is exclusively occupied by the North-West Company, the
Hudson's Bay Company having no settlement to the northward of Great Slave
Lake. We found Mr. Wentzel and our interpreter Jean Baptiste Adam here
with one of the Indian guides: but the chief of the tribe and his hunters
were encamped with their families some miles from the fort in a good
situation for fishing. Our arrival was announced to him by a fire on the
top of a hill, and before night a messenger came to communicate his
intention of seeing us next morning. The customary present of tobacco and
some other articles was immediately sent to him.
Mr. Wentzel prepared me for the first conference with the Indians by
mentioning all the information they had already given to him. The duties
allotted to this gentleman were the management of the Indians, the
superintendence of the Canadian voyagers, the obtaining and the general
distribution of the provision, and the issue of the other stores. These
services he was well qualified to perform, having been accustomed to
execute similar duties during a residence of upwards of twenty years in
this country.
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