ARRIVAL AT NORWAY HOUSE. ,53 



Norway House, situated on Jack River. Our 

 reception was most cordial. Messrs. Christie, 

 Rowand, Lewis, and Donald Ross, for most of 

 whom I had letters from my excellent friend 

 Mr. Garry, lost not a moment in tendering all 

 the assistance in their power. But notwith- 

 standing the good feeling on their part, some 

 trouble was experienced from the exorbitant 

 terms proposed by the men who seemed dis- 

 posed to volunteer. The bulk of the people 

 from the more remote stations had already passed 

 the depot ; and those who remained, either re- 

 luctant to expose themselves to the hazard of 

 what was justly considered an enterprise of dan- 

 ger, or influenced by the strong desire of gain, 

 demanded the same privileges and emoluments 

 which had been granted to the men emploved 

 on the two Government expeditions under 

 Sir J. Franklin, Unreasonable as this seemed 

 to us, we had no choice but to yield in part to 

 their demands ; and even then, it was not until 

 I had taken infinite pains, by pointing out on 

 the map the whole line of my operations, by 

 lessening the danger and magnifying our re- 

 sources, and, finally, by arousing the slumber- 

 ing spirit of the Highlander, that James M 'Kay, 

 to whom I first addressed myself, — a powerful 

 fellow, and one of the best steersmen in the 



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