Most Of Them
Dragged Their Loads Upon Sledges But A Few Preferred Carrying Them On
Their Backs.
They set off in high spirits.
After breakfast the Indians struck their tents, and the women, the boys,
and the old men who had to drag sledges, took their departure. It was
three P.M. however before Akaitcho and the hunters left us. We issued
thirty balls to the leader and twenty to each of the hunters and guides
with a proportionate quantity of powder, and gave them directions to make
all the provision they could on their way to Point Lake. I then desired
Mr. Wentzel to inform Akaitcho in the presence of the other Indians that
I wished a deposit of provision to be made at this place previous to next
September as a resource should we return this way. He and the guides not
only promised to see this done but suggested that it would be more secure
if placed in the cellar or in Mr. Wentzel's room. The Dog-Ribs, they
said, would respect anything that was in the house as knowing it to
belong to the white people. At the close of this conversation Akaitcho
exclaimed with a smile, "I see now that you have really no goods left
(the rooms and stores being completely stripped) and therefore I shall
not trouble you any more but use my best endeavours to prepare provision
for you, and I think if the animals are tolerably numerous we may get
plenty before you can embark on the river."
Whilst the Indians were packing up this morning one of the women
absconded.
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