We Next Informed Him That It Would Be Very Desirable To See The River At
Any Rate, That We Might
Give some positive information about its
situation and size in our next letters to the Great Chief; and that we
Were very anxious to get on its banks for the purpose of observing an
eclipse of the sun which we described to him and said would happen in a
few days. He received this communication with more temper than the
preceding, though he immediately assigned as a reason for his declining
to go that "the Indians must now procure a sufficient quantity of
deer-skins for winter clothing for themselves, and dresses for the
Canadians who would need them if they had to travel in the winter."
Finding him so averse to proceed and feeling at the same time how
essential his continuance with us was, not only to our future success but
even to our existence during the winter, I closed the conversation here,
intending to propose to him next morning some modification of the plan
which might meet his approbation. Soon after we were gone however he
informed Mr. Wentzel, with whom he was in the habit of speaking
confidentially, that, as his advice was neglected, his presence was
useless and he should therefore return to Fort Providence with his
hunters after he had collected some winter provision for us. Mr. Wentzel
having reported this to me the night was passed in great anxiety and,
after weighing all the arguments that presented themselves to my mind, I
came reluctantly to the determination of relinquishing the intention of
going any distance down the river this season.
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