Be rash and dangerous as the weather was cold, the
leaves were falling, some geese had passed to the southward, and the
winter would shortly set in and that, as he considered the lives of all
who went on such a journey would be forfeited, he neither would go
himself nor permit his hunters to accompany us. He said there was no wood
within eleven days' march, during which time we could not have any fire
as the moss which the Indians use in their summer excursions would be too
wet for burning in consequence of the recent rains; that we should be
forty days in descending the Copper-Mine River, six of which would be
expended in getting to its banks, and that we might be blocked up by the
ice in the next moon; and during the whole journey the party must
experience great sufferings for want of food as the reindeer had already
left the river.
He was now reminded that these statements were very different from the
account he had given both at Fort Providence and on the route hither; and
that up to this moment we had been encouraged by his conversation to
expect that the party might descend the Copper-Mine River accompanied by
the Indians. He replied that at the former place he had been unacquainted
with our slow mode of travelling and that the alteration in his opinion
arose from the advance of winter.
We now informed him that we were provided with instruments by which we
could ascertain the state of the air and water and that we did not
imagine the winter to be so near as he supposed; however we promised to
return on discovering the first change in the season. He was also told
that, all the baggage being left behind, our canoes would now of course
travel infinitely more expeditiously than anything he had hitherto
witnessed. Akaitcho appeared to feel hurt that we should continue to
press the matter further and answered with some warmth: "Well, I have
said everything I can urge to dissuade you from going on this service on
which it seems you wish to sacrifice your own lives as well as the
Indians who might attend you: however if after all I have said you are
determined to go some of my young men shall join the party because it
shall not be said that we permitted you to die alone after having brought
you hither; but from the moment they embark in the canoes I and my
relatives shall lament them as dead."
We could only reply to this forcible appeal by assuring him and the
Indians who were seated around him that we felt the most anxious
solicitude for the safety of every individual and that it was far from
our intention to proceed without considering every argument for and
against the proposed journey.
We next informed him that it would be very desirable to see the river at
any rate, that we might give some positive information about its
situation and size in our next letters to the Great Chief; and that we
were very anxious to get on its banks for the purpose of observing an
eclipse of the sun which we described to him and said would happen in a
few days. He received this communication with more temper than the
preceding, though he immediately assigned as a reason for his declining
to go that "the Indians must now procure a sufficient quantity of
deer-skins for winter clothing for themselves, and dresses for the
Canadians who would need them if they had to travel in the winter."
Finding him so averse to proceed and feeling at the same time how
essential his continuance with us was, not only to our future success but
even to our existence during the winter, I closed the conversation here,
intending to propose to him next morning some modification of the plan
which might meet his approbation. Soon after we were gone however he
informed Mr. Wentzel, with whom he was in the habit of speaking
confidentially, that, as his advice was neglected, his presence was
useless and he should therefore return to Fort Providence with his
hunters after he had collected some winter provision for us. Mr. Wentzel
having reported this to me the night was passed in great anxiety and,
after weighing all the arguments that presented themselves to my mind, I
came reluctantly to the determination of relinquishing the intention of
going any distance down the river this season. I had considered that,
could we ascertain what were the impediments to the navigation of the
Copper-Mine River, what wood grew on its banks, if fit for boat building,
and whether drift timber existed where the country was naked, our
operations next season would be much facilitated; but we had also
cherished the hope of reaching the sea this year for the Indians in their
conversations with us had only spoken of two great rapids as likely to
obstruct us. This was a hope extremely painful to give up for, in the
event of success, we should have ascertained whether the sea was clear of
ice and navigable for canoes, have learned the disposition of the
Esquimaux, and might have obtained other information that would have had
great influence on our future proceedings.
I must confess however that my opinion of the probability of our being
able to attain so great a desideratum this season had been somewhat
altered by the recent changes in the weather although, had the chief been
willing to accompany us with his party, I should have made the attempt,
with the intention however of returning immediately upon the first
decided appearance of winter.
On the morning of August 27th, having communicated my sentiments to the
officers on the subject of the conference last evening, they all agreed
that the descent to the sea this season could not be attempted without
hazarding a complete rupture with the Indians; but they thought that a
party should be sent to ascertain the distance and size of the
Copper-Mine River.
