Neither of us could avoid doing, so great was our hunger.
In the morning, being much agitated for the safety of Beauparlant, I
desired St. Germain to go in search of him and to return with him as
quick as possible, when I would have something prepared for them to eat.
It was however late when he arrived, with a small bundle which
Beauparlant was accustomed to carry and, with tears in his eyes, told me
that he had found our poor companion dead. Dead! I could not believe him.
"It is so sir," said St. Germain, "after hallooing and calling his name
to no purpose I went towards our last encampment about three-quarters of
a mile and found him stretched upon his back on a sandbank frozen to
death, his limbs all extended and swelled enormously and as hard as the
ice that was near him; his bundle was behind him as if it had rolled away
when he fell, and the blanket which he wore around his neck and shoulders
thrown on one side. Seeing that there was no longer life in him I threw
your covering over him and placed his snowshoes on the top of it."
I had not even thought of so serious an occurrence in our little party
and for a short time was obliged to give vent to my grief. Left with one
person and both of us weak, no appearance of Belanger, a likelihood that
great calamity had taken place amongst our other companions, still
upwards of seventeen days' march from the nearest establishment, and
myself unable to carry a burden; all these things pressed heavy on me,
and how to get to the Indians or to the fort I did not know but, that I
might not depress St. Germain's spirits, I suppressed the feelings to
which these thoughts gave rise and made some arrangements for the journey
to Fort Providence.
October 18.
While we were this day occupied in scraping together the remains of some
deer's meat we observed Belanger coming round a point apparently scarcely
moving. I went to meet him and made immediate inquiries about my friends.
Five, with the Captain, he said, were at the house, the rest were left
near the river unable to proceed, but he was too weak to relate the
whole. He was conducted to the encampment and paid every attention to,
and by degrees we heard the remainder of his tragic tale, at which the
interpreter could not avoid crying. He then gave me a letter from my
friend the Commander which indeed was truly afflicting. The simple story
of Belanger I could hear, but when I read it in another language, mingled
with the pious resignation of a good man, I could not sustain it any
longer.
