OF THE POLAR SEA. 



359 



had not yet rejoined him, and the old man could add nothing to his 

 former communication. The Doctor remarked that Terregannoeuck 

 had a great dislike to mentioning the name of the Copper -Mine 

 Kiver, and that he evaded the question with much dexterity as 

 often as it was put to him ; but that he willingly told the name of 

 a river to the eastward, and also of his tribe. He attempted to 

 persuade Augustus to remain with him, and offered him one of his 

 daughters for a wife. These Esquimaux strike fire with two stones, 

 catching the sparks in the down of the catkins of a willow. 



The despatches being finished were delivered this evening to 

 Mr. Wentzel, who parted from us at eight P. M. with Parent, Gagnier, 

 Dumas, and Forcier, Canadians, whom I had discharged for the 

 purpose of reducing our expenditure of provision as much as pos- 

 sible. The remainder of the party, including officers, amounted to 

 twenty persons. I made Mr. Wentzel acquainted with the probable 

 course of our future proceedings, and mentioned to him that if we 

 were far distant from this river, when the season or other circumstan- 

 ces rendered it necessary to put a stop to our advance, we should, 

 in all probability, be unable to return to it, and should have to travel 

 across the barren grounds towards some established post : in which 

 case I told him that we should certainly go first to Fort Enterprise, 

 expecting that he would cause the Indians to place a supply of dried 

 provision there, as soon as possible after their arrival in its vicinity. 

 My instructions to him were, that he should proceed to Point Lake, 

 transport the canoe that was left there to Fort Enterprise, where he 

 was to embark the instruments and books, and carry them to Slave 

 Lake, and to forward the box containing the journals, &c, with the 

 present despatches by the next winter packet to England. But 

 before he quitted Fort Enterprise, he was to be assured of the in- 

 tention of the Indians to lay up the provision we required, and if 

 they should be in want of ammunition for that purpose, to procure 



