As There Was Little Danger Of Our Losing The Path Of Our Hunters Whilst
We Coasted The Shores Of This Lake I Determined On Again Sending Mr. Back
Forward With The Interpreters To Hunt.
I had in view in this arrangement
the further object of enabling Mr. Back to get across the lake with two
of these men to convey the earliest possible account of our situation to
the Indians.
Accordingly I instructed him to halt at the first pines he
should come to and then prepare a raft and, if his hunters had killed
animals so that the party could be supported whilst we were making our
raft, he was to cross immediately with St. Germain and Beauparlant and
send the Indians to us as quickly as possible with supplies of meat.
We had this evening the pain of discovering that two of our men had
stolen part of the officers' provision which had been allotted to us with
strict impartiality. This conduct was the more reprehensible as it was
plain that we were suffering even in a greater degree than themselves
from the effects of famine, owing to our being of a less robust habit and
less accustomed to privations. We had no means of punishing this crime
but by the threat that they should forfeit their wages, which had now
ceased to operate.
Mr. Back and his companions set out at six in the morning and we started
at seven. As the snow had entirely disappeared and there were no means of
distinguishing the footsteps of stragglers, I gave strict orders
previously to setting out for all the party to keep together, and
especially I desired the two Esquimaux not to leave us, they having often
strayed in search of the remains of animals.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 552 of 649
Words from 149385 to 149681
of 176017
