OF THE POLAR SEA. 151 



provision, and of the great need we had of an 

 ample stock, to enable us to execute our under- 

 taking ; and his regret, that the unusual scarcity 

 of animals this season, together with the circum- 

 stance of his having only just received a supply 

 of ammunition from Fort Providence, had pre- 

 vented him from collecting the quantity of meat 

 he had wished to do for our use. The amount, 

 indeed," he said, " is very small, but I will cheer- 

 fully give you what I have: we are too much 

 indebted to the white people, to allow them to 

 want food on our lands, whilst we have any to 

 give them. Our families can live on fish until 

 we can procure more meat, but the season is too 

 short to allow of your delaying, to gain subsist- 

 ence in that manner." He immediately desired, 

 aloud, that the women should bring all the meat 

 they had to us ; and we soon collected sufficient 

 to make three bags and a half of penmiican, be- 

 sides some dried meat and tongues. We were 

 truly delighted by this prompt and cheerful be- 

 haviour, and would gladly have rewarded the 

 kindness of himself and his companions by some 

 substantial present, but we were limited by the 

 scantiness of our store to a small donation of 

 fifteen charges of ammunition to each of the chiefs. 

 In return for the provision they accepted notes on 

 the North- West Company, to be paid at Fort 



