ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE WINTER. 455 



To go by the Thlew-ee-choh again was out of 

 the question ; since, independently of its dan- 

 gers, it led to the wrong end for a favourable 

 passage along the coast, the eastern portion 

 being probably always more or less hampered 

 with ice brought by the current from the west- 

 ward. Upon these considerations, and influ- 

 enced, moreover, by a feeling that I was not 

 authorized to swell the expense of a service 

 the original object of which had been happily 

 anticipated by Providence, I relinquished, though 

 with sincere reluctance, the further prosecution 

 of its secondary purpose as altogether hopeless 

 from this particular quarter. 



It remained, therefore, only to make arrange- 

 ments for passing the winter as comfortably as our 

 means would permit ; and, as there was not the 

 remotest probability that there would be suffi- 

 cient food at the house for the consumption of 

 the whole party, all except six went with Mr. 

 M c Leod to the fisheries, conveying, at the same 

 time, to the Company's establishment at Fort 

 Resolution, the various bales of goods and other 

 articles which we did not now require. A 

 great proportion of the pemmican also was de- 

 posited in store there, for the use of the expedi- 

 tion in its passage through the country. 



The Indians brought us provision from time 

 to time ; and our friend Akaitcho, with his fol- 



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