234 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
also took charge of my letters addressed to the 
Admiralty. Five men were afterwards engaged 
from the North-West Company for the same 
wages, and under the same stipulations as the 
others, besides an interpreter for the Copper 
Indians ; but this man required three thousand 
livres Halifax currency, which we were obliged 
to give him, as his services were indispensable. 
The extreme scarcity of provision at the posts 
endered it necessary to despatch all our men to 
the Mammawee Lake, where they might procure 
their own subsistence by fishing, The women and 
children resident at the fort were also sent away 
for the same purpose ; and no other families were 
permitted to remain at the houses after the depar- 
ture of the canoes, than those belonging to the men 
who were required to carry on the daily duty. © 
The large party of officers and men, which had 
assembled here from the different posts in the 
department, was again quickly dispersed. The 
first brigade of canoes, laden with furs, was de- 
Spatched to the depét on May 30th, and the 
others followed in two or three days afterwards. 
Mr. Stuart, the senior partner of the North- 
West Company, quitted us for the same destina- 
tion, on June 4th; Mr, Robertson, for his depst, 
on the next day; and on the 9th we parted with 
our friend Mr. Keith, to whose unremitting kind 
