We Were Now Left A Second Time Without Food, And With
Appetites Recovered And Strongly Excited By Recent Indulgence.
On the following day the Doctor and Hepburn resumed their former
occupation of collecting wood and I was able to assist a little in
bringing it into the house.
Adam, whose expectation of the arrival of the
Indians had been raised by the fineness of the weather, became towards
night very desponding and refused to eat the singed skin. The night was
stormy and there was a heavy fall of snow. The next day he became still
more dejected. About eleven Hepburn, who had gone out for the wood, came
in with the intelligence that a party appeared upon the river. The room
was instantly swept and, in compliance with the prejudices of the
Indians, every scrap of skin was carefully removed out of sight, for
these simple people imagine that burning deer-skin renders them
unsuccessful in hunting. The party proved to be Crooked-Foot,
Thooeeyorre, and the Fop, with the wives of the two latter dragging
provisions. They were accompanied by Benoit, one of our own men.
We were rejoiced to learn by a note from Mr. Back dated November 11 that
he and his companions had so recruited their strength that they were
preparing to proceed to Fort Providence. Adam recovered his spirits on
the arrival of the Indians and even walked about the room with an
appearance of strength and activity that surprised us all. As it was of
consequence to get amongst the reindeer before our present supply should
fail we made preparations for quitting Fort Enterprise the next day and
accordingly, at an early hour on the 16th, having united in thanksgiving
and prayer, the whole party left the house after breakfast. Our feelings
on quitting the fort where we had formerly enjoyed much comfort, if not
happiness, and latterly experienced a degree of misery scarcely to be
paralleled, may be more easily conceived than described. The Indians
treated us with the utmost tenderness, gave us their snowshoes, and
walked without themselves, keeping by our sides that they might lift us
when we fell. We descended Winter River and about noon crossed the head
of Round-Rock Lake, distant about three miles from the house, where we
were obliged to halt as Dr. Richardson was unable to proceed. The
swellings in his limbs rendered him by much the weakest of the party. The
Indians prepared our encampment, cooked for us, and fed us as if we had
been children, evincing humanity that would have done honour to the most
civilised people. The night was mild and fatigue made us sleep soundly.
From this period to the 26th of November we gradually improved through
their kindness and attention, and on that day arrived in safety at the
abode of our chief and companion Akaitcho. We were received by the party
assembled in the leader's tent with looks of compassion and profound
silence which lasted about a quarter of an hour and by which they meant
to express their condolence for our sufferings.
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