74 MR. M'LEOD ACCOMPANIES THE EXPEDITION. 



object of my mission, than he removed every 

 apprehension from my mind, by declaring his 

 sympathy for our long absent countrymen, his 

 satisfaction at seeing me, and his gallant de- 

 termination to sacrifice his own plans to the 

 pleasure of becoming my companion. I wrote, 

 therefore, immediately to the Company, and, with 

 his able assistance, made a requisition, in full, for 

 the necessary supplies, to support the expedition 

 during the year 1834. Mr. Stuart, I believe, was 

 scarcely less delighted at his friend's decision than 

 myself, and, besides many useful suggestions, of 

 which I was glad to take advantage, generously 

 offered every aid, public and private, within his 

 power. 



July 25th. — There was so much difficulty in 

 stowing the additional baggage, that my guide 

 declared the canoe would not hold us : and when 

 it is considered that he had to make places for six 

 more persons, viz. Mr. M'Leod, his wife, three 

 children, and a servant, whom I hired at the 

 same rate as the others ; in other words, that 

 fourteen were to be crammed into a space in- 

 tended for eight or nine, it is not surprising 

 that he should indulge in a growl. He foresaw 

 that, with such extra weight, his " cher canot" 

 would very possibly get broken ; and his ap- 

 prehensions were soon verified by our striking 

 against a sunken rock. 



