442 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



experience little fatigue, and seemed so confident, that I suffered 

 him to depart with a supply of singed hide. Next day I received 

 information which explained why he was so unwilling to acquaint us 

 with the situation of Mr. Back's party. He dreaded that I should 

 resolve upon joining it, when our numbers would be so great as to 

 eonsume at once every thing St. Germain might kill, if by accident 

 he should be successful in hunting. He even endeavoured to entice 

 away our other hunter Adam, and proposed to him to carry off the 

 only kettle we had, and without which we could not have subsisted 

 two days. Adam's inability to move, however, precluded him from 

 agreeing to the proposal, but he could assign no reason for not 

 acquainting me with it, previous to Belanger's departure. I was at 

 first inclined to consider the whole matter as a fiction of Adam's, 

 but he persisted in his story without wavering ; and Belanger, when 

 we met again, confessed that every part of it was true. It is painful 

 to have to record a fact so derogatory to human nature, but I have 

 deemed it proper to mention it, to shew the difficulties we had io 

 contend with, and the effect which distress had in warping the 

 feelings and understanding of the most diligent and obedient of 



party ; for such Belanger had been always esteemed up to this 



time 



In making arrangements for our departure, Adam disclosed to me, 

 for the first time, that he was affected with ©edematous swellings 

 in some parts of the body, to such a degree as to preclude the 

 slightest attempt at marching ; and upon my expressing my surprise 

 at his having hitherto concealed from me the extent of his malady, 

 among other explanations the details of the preceding story came out. 

 It now became necessary to abandon the original intention of pro- 

 ceeding with the whole party towards Fort Providence, and Peltier 

 and Samandre having volunteered to remain with Adam, I determined 

 on setting out with Benoit and Augustus, intending to send them 

 relief by the first party of Indians we should meet. My clothes 





