98 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



desire, he had promised payment to the Indian 

 women who should bring in any of the latter 

 article, and had sent several of our own men to 

 the woods to search for it. At this time I com- 

 municated to Mr. Wentzel the mode in which I 

 meant to conduct the journey of the approaching 

 summer. Upon our arrival at the sea, I proposed 

 to reduce the party to what would be sufficient to 

 man two canoes, in order to lessen the consump- 

 tion of provisions during our voyage, or journey 

 along the coast ; and as Mr. Wentzel had ex- 

 pressed a desire of proceeding no further than 

 the mouth of the Copper-Mine River, which was 

 seconded by the Indians, who wished him to re- 

 turn with them, I readily relieved his anxiety on 

 tliis subject ; the more so as I thought he might 

 render greater service to us by making deposits 

 ot provision at certain points, than by accompany- 

 ing us through a country which was unknowTi to 

 him, and amongst a people with whom he was 

 totally unacquainted. My intentions were ex- 

 plamed to him in detail, but they were of course 

 to be modified by the circumstances that might 

 occur. 



On the 14th a robin Ourdus migratoriusj ap- 

 peared ; this bird is co.i3idered by the natives 

 as the infaUible precursor of warm weather. 

 Bucks and geese were also seen in numbers. 



