. 



252 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



senior trader in the department, on the subject, when I had no 

 doubt that a satisfactory explanation would be given. The Indians 



pparently satisfied, but this business 



and proved 



retired from the conference 



was in the end productive of much inconvenience to 



very detrimental to the progress of the Expedition. In conjunct 



also with other intellig 



yed in Mr. Back's letters re- 



specting the disposition of the traders towards us, particularly a 

 statement of Mr. Weeks, that he had been desired not to assist us 

 with supplies from his post, it was productive of much present un- 

 easiness to me. 



On the 28th St. Germain, the interpreter, set out with eight Ca- 

 nadian voyagers and four Indian hunters to bring up our stores from 



wrote by him to Mr. Smith, at Moose-Deer 



Fort Providence 



T 



Island, and Mr. Keith, at Chipewyan, both of the North- West Com- 

 pany, urging them in the strongest manner to comply with the re- 

 quisition for stores, which Mr. Back would present. I also informed 







Mr. Simpson, principal agent in the Athabasca for the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, who had proffered every assistance in his power, that we 

 should gladly avail ourselves of the kind intentions expressed in a 

 letter which I had received from him. 



We also sent a number of broken axes to Slave Lake to be 



re- 



paired 



The dog that came to 



the 22d of October, and had 



become very familiar, followed the party. We were in hopes that 



might prove of some 



dragging their loads, but we afterwards 



learnt, that on the evening after their departure from the house, 

 they had the cruelty to kill and eat it, although they had no reason 

 to apprehend a scarcity of provision. A dog is considered to be 

 delicate eating by the voyagers. 



The mean temperature of the air for November was 

 greatest heat observed was 25° above, and the least 3 1° below, zero. 



On the ] st of December the sky was clear, a slight appearance of 

 stratus only being visible near the horizon ; but a kind of snow fell 



0.7 



The 





