236 QUARREL OF AKAITCHO AND INTERPRETER. 



misunderstanding between Akaitcho and our 

 interpreter, in consequence of which the former, 

 it was said, had declared his intention to 

 cease acting for us, and to dispose of his " hunt" 

 elsewhere. In our present exigency such a 

 resolution would have been a blow aimed at the 

 very lives of those engaged in the expedition ; 

 at best, it was sure to deprive us of the assist- 

 ance which I had calculated on receiving in the 

 spring, for conveying our provision and heavy 

 baggage to the Thlew-ee-choh ; so that, in any 

 view, it would paralyse our efforts and frustrate 

 the interesting object of the undertaking. 



Great, however, as was my anxiety, I derived 

 consolation from the hope that Mr. M^eod's 

 influence might procure some material modifi- 

 cation of the purpose of the unstable chief, if 

 it failed to restore him altogether to his former 

 friendly disposition. 



The uncertainty of the means of subsistence, 

 and the almost daily distresses and disappoint- 

 ments by which we were harassed, had interfered 

 with many, and altogether marred some, of my 

 plans ; among others, the important task of pre- 

 paring the materials for the construction of two 

 light boats to take us along the coast had been 

 hitherto suspended. The time, however, had 

 now arrived when further delay was impossible. 

 Accordingly, the two carpenters, with Sinclair (a 



