208 DISCHARGE OF FOUR OF OUR PARTY. 



late at night, after a painful walk without snow 

 shoes through deep snow in the woods, bringing 

 four fish, and the welcome tidings, that by spread- 

 ing over a greater surface there was a likelihood 

 of taking more. Every man that could be spared 

 was thereupon sent away with him ; we who 

 remained being thrown upon our pemmican, a 

 third of which was already expended. 



December 7. — Being anxious to dimmish as 

 far as possible the number of our party, I now 

 discharged De Charloit and two Iroquois, con- 

 formably to their agreements, and La Charite, 

 at his own solicitation ; but not until he had pro- 

 vided a substitute, who turned out to be in every 

 respect superior to him as a voyageur. They 

 were supplied with the necessary means to carry 

 them to the next establishment 5 and I charged 

 De Charloit with my despatches for Mr. Hay, 

 Under-secretary of State for the Colonies, and for 

 the Admiralty — together with extra requisitions 

 for the use of the expedition during the follow- 

 ing year, to be sent from York Factory. Only 

 four Indians arrived within this week, and they 

 came for food. They were greatly dejected, 

 and added to the general gloom by encouraging 

 the apprehension of those calamities which, 

 judging from so unpromising a beginning, might 

 be expected to befal them during the winter. 

 Had it been a solitary instance of misfortune, 



