Come with a note from Mr. Franklin which stated that, this man and
Jean Baptiste Belanger being unable to proceed, were about to return to
us, and that a mile beyond our present encampment there was a clump of
pine-trees to which he recommended us to remove the tent. Michel informed
us that he quitted Mr. Franklin's party yesterday morning but that having
missed his way he had passed the night on the snow a mile or two to the
northward of us. Belanger he said, being impatient, left the fire about
two hours earlier and, as he had not arrived, he supposed must have gone
astray. It will be seen in the sequel that we had more than sufficient
reason to doubt the truth of this story.
Michel now produced a hare and a partridge which he had killed in the
morning. This unexpected supply of provision was received by us with a
deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty for His goodness, and we looked
upon Michel as the instrument He had chosen to preserve all our lives. He
complained of cold and Mr. Hood offered to share his buffalo robe with
him at night. I gave him one of two shirts which I wore whilst Hepburn in
the warmth of his heart exclaimed "How I shall love this man if I find
that he does not tell lies like the others." Our meals being finished we
arranged that the greatest part of the things should be carried to the
pines the next day and, after reading the evening service, retired to bed
full of hope.
Early in the morning Hepburn, Michel, and myself, carried the ammunition
and most of the other heavy articles to the pines. Michel was our guide
and it did not occur to us at the time that his conducting us perfectly
straight was incompatible with his story of having mistaken his road in
coming to us. He now informed us that he had on his way to the tent left
on the hill above the pines a gun and forty-eight balls which Perrault
had given to him when with the rest of Mr. Franklin's party he took leave
of him. It will be seen on a reference to Mr. Franklin's journal that
Perrault carried his gun and ammunition with him when they parted from
Michel and Belanger. After we had made a fire and drank a little of the
country tea Hepburn and I returned to the tent where we arrived in the
evening, much exhausted with our journey. Michel preferred sleeping where
he was and requested us to leave him the hatchet, which we did after he
had promised to come early in the morning to assist us in carrying the
tent and bedding.
