RETURN TO THE WINTER QUARTERS OF FORT ENTERPRISE.
We set off at sunrise next morning and our provision being expended
pushed on as fast as we could to Fort Enterprise where we arrived at
eight P.M., almost exhausted by a harassing day's march of twenty-two
miles. A substantial supper of reindeer steaks soon restored our vigour.
We had the happiness of meeting our friends Mr. Back and Mr. Hood who had
returned from their excursion on the day succeeding that on which we set
out; and I received from them the following account of their journey.
They proceeded up the Winter River to the north end of the Little Marten
Lake and then the guide, being unacquainted with the route by water to
the Copper-Mine River, proposed that the canoe should be left. Upon this
they ascended the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood to examine whether
they could discover any large lakes or water communication in the
direction where the guide described the river to be. They only saw a
small rivulet which was too shallow for the canoe and also wide of the
course and, as they perceived the crew would have to carry it over a
rugged hilly track, they judiciously decided on leaving it and proceeding
forward on foot. Having deposited the canoe among a few dwarf birch
bushes they commenced their march, carrying their tents, blankets,
cooking utensils, and a part of the dried meat. St. Germain however had
previously delineated with charcoal a man and a house on a piece of bark
which he placed over the canoe and the few things that were left to point
out to the Dog-Ribs that they belonged to white people.
The party reached the shores of Point Lake through which the Copper-Mine
River runs on the 1st of September. The next day was too stormy for them
to march but on the 3rd they proceeded along its shores to the westward
round a mountainous promontory and, perceiving the course of the lake
extending to the West-North-West, they encamped near some pines and then
enjoyed the luxury of a good fire for the first time since their
departure from us. The temperature of the water in the lake was 35
degrees and of the air 32 degrees, but the latter fell to 20 degrees in
the course of that night. As their principal object was to ascertain
whether any arm of the lake branched nearer to Fort Enterprise than the
part they had fallen upon, to which the transport of our goods could be
more easily made next spring, they returned on its borders to the
eastward, being satisfied by the appearance of the mountains between
south and west that no further examination was necessary in that
direction; and they continued their march until the 6th at noon without
finding any part of the lake inclining nearer the fort. They therefore
encamped to observe the eclipse which was to take place on the following
morning but, a violent snowstorm rendering the observation impossible,
they commenced their return and after a comfortless and laborious march
regained their canoe on the 10th and, embarking in it, arrived the same
evening at the house.
Point Lake varied, as far as they traced, from one to three miles in
width. Its main course was nearly east and west, but several arms
branched off in different directions. I was much pleased with the able
manner in which these officers executed the service they had been
despatched upon, and was gratified to learn from them that their
companions had conducted themselves extremely well and borne the fatigues
of their journey most cheerfully. They scarcely ever had more than
sufficient fuel to boil the kettle and were generally obliged to lie down
in their wet clothes and consequently suffered much from cold.
The distance which the parties travelled in their journey to and from
Point Lake may be estimated at one hundred and ten statute miles which,
being added to the distances given in the preceding pages, amount to one
thousand five hundred and twenty miles that the Expedition travelled in
1820 up to the time of its residence at Fort Enterprise.
CHAPTER 8.
TRANSACTIONS AT FORT ENTERPRISE.
MR. BACK'S NARRATIVE OF HIS JOURNEY TO CHIPEWYAN, AND RETURN.
TRANSACTIONS AT FORT ENTERPRISE.
September 1820.
During our little expedition to the Copper-Mine River Mr. Wentzel had
made great progress in the erection of our winter-house having nearly
roofed it in. But before proceeding to give an account of a ten months'
residence at this place, henceforth designated Fort Enterprise, I may
premise that I shall omit many of the ordinary occurrences of a North
American winter as they have been already detailed in so able and
interesting a manner by Ellis* and confine myself principally to the
circumstances which had an influence on our progress in the ensuing
summer. The observations on the magnetic needle, the temperature of the
atmosphere, the Aurora Borealis, and other meteorological phenomena,
together with the mineralogical and botanical notices, being less
interesting to the general reader, are omitted in this edition.
(*Footnote. Voyage to Hudson's Bay in the Dobbs and California.)
The men continued to work diligently at the house and by the 30th of
September had nearly completed it for our reception when a heavy fall of
rain washed the greater part of the mud off the roof. This rain was
remarked by the Indians as unusual after what they had deemed so decided
a commencement of winter in the early part of the month. The mean
temperature for the month was 33 3/4 degrees, but the thermometer had
sunk as low as 16 degrees and on one occasion rose to 53 degrees.
