We set out on the 13th in thick hazy weather and, after an hour's march,
had the extreme mortification
To find ourselves on the borders of a large
lake; neither of its extremities could be seen and, as the portion which
lay to the east seemed the widest, we coasted along to the westward
portion in search of a crossing-place. This lake being bounded by steep
and lofty hills our march was very fatiguing. Those sides which were
exposed to the sun were free from snow and we found upon them some
excellent berries. We encamped at six P.M. having come only six miles and
a half. Credit was then missing and he did not return during the night.
We supped off a single partridge and some tripe de roche; this
unpalatable weed was now quite nauseous to the whole party and in several
it produced bowel complaints. Mr. Hood was the greatest sufferer from
this cause. This evening we were extremely distressed at discovering that
our improvident companions since we left Hood's River had thrown away
three of the fishing-nets and burnt the floats; they knew we had brought
them to procure subsistence for the party when the animals should fail,
and we could scarcely believe the fact of their having wilfully deprived
themselves of this resource, especially when we considered that most of
them had passed the greater part of their servitude in situations where
the nets alone had supplied them with food. Being thus deprived of our
principal resource, that of fishing, and the men evidently getting weaker
every day, it became necessary to lighten their burdens of everything
except ammunition, clothing, and the instruments that were required to
find our way. I therefore issued directions to deposit at this encampment
the dipping needle, azimuth compass, magnet, a large thermometer, and a
few books we had carried, having torn out of these such parts as we
should require to work the observations for latitude and longitude. I
also promised, as an excitement to the efforts in hunting, my gun to St.
Germain, and an ample compensation to Adam or any of the other men who
should kill any animals. Mr. Hood on this occasion lent his gun to Michel
the Iroquois, who was very eager in the chase and often successful.
September 14.
This morning, the officers being assembled round a small fire, Perrault
presented each of us with a small piece of meat which he had saved from
his allowance. It was received with great thankfulness, and such an act
of self-denial and kindness being totally unexpected in a Canadian
voyager filled our eyes with tears. In directing our course to a river
issuing from the lake we met Credit who communicated the joyful
intelligence of his having killed two deer in the morning. We instantly
halted and, having shared the deer that was nearest to us, prepared
breakfast. After which the other deer was sent for and we went down to
the river, which was about three hundred yards wide and flowed with great
velocity through a broken rocky channel.
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