We were all cheered by the hope that the Indians would be found
by the one party and relief sent to the other. Those who remained
entreated us to make all the haste we could and expressed their hope of
seeing the Indians in ten or twelve days.
At first starting we were so feeble as scarcely to be able to move
forwards and the descent of the bank of the river through the deep snow
was a severe labour. When we came upon the ice where the snow was less
deep we got on better, but after walking six hours we had only gained
four miles and were then compelled by fatigue to encamp on the borders of
Round-Rock Lake. Augustus tried for fish here but without success so that
our fare was skin and tea. Composing ourselves to rest we lay close to
each other for warmth. We found the night bitterly cold and the wind
pierced through our famished frames.
The next morning was mild and pleasant for travelling and we set out
after breakfast. We had not however gone many yards before I had the
misfortune to break my snowshoes by falling between two rocks. This
accident prevented me from keeping pace with Benoit and Augustus and in
the attempt I became quite exhausted. Feeling convinced that their being
delayed on my account might prove of fatal consequence to the rest I
resolved on returning to the house and letting them proceed alone in
search of the Indians. I therefore halted them only whilst I wrote a note
to Mr. Back, stating the reason of my return, and desiring he would send
meat from Reindeer Lake by these men if St. Germain should kill any
animals there. If Benoit should miss Mr. Back I directed him to proceed
to Fort Providence and furnished him with a letter to the gentleman in
charge of it, requesting that immediate supplies might be sent to us.
On my return to the house I found Samandre very dispirited and too weak,
as he said, to render any assistance to Peltier, upon whom the whole
labour of getting wood and collecting the means of subsistence would have
devolved. Conscious too that his strength would have been unequal to
these tasks they had determined upon taking only one meal each day, so
that I felt my going back particularly fortunate as I hoped to stimulate
Samandre to exertion and at any rate could contribute some help to
Peltier. I undertook the office of cooking and insisted they should eat
twice a day whenever food could be procured but, as I was too weak to
pound the bones, Peltier agreed to do that in addition to his more
fatiguing task of getting wood. We had a violent snow-storm all the next
day and this gloomy weather increased the depression of spirits under
which Adam and Samandre were labouring.
