328 PELLY BANKS STATION. 



that it soon exhausted my small stock of patience, and 

 I departed, but understood that the amusement was 

 continued for several hours, probably for the sake of 

 exercise. 



On the 8th of June, three gentlemen of the company 

 arrived from the posts on the West Branch or Liard 

 River, which falls into the Mackenzie just above 

 Fort Simpson. One of these, a Mr. P., had suffered 

 almost incredible privations during the past winter, 

 the two men who were with him having died from 

 starvation. The details are heartrending, horrible, 

 and even revolting. 



Pelly Banks station, where the catastrophe occurred, 

 is situated upon the Pelly river, about 1000 miles 

 distant from Port Simpson. The Pelly joins the 

 Lewis at Fort Selkirk, 310 miles from PeUy Banks, 

 the united stream forming the river Youcon. In the 

 spring of 1848, Mr. P. was ordered to this post, and 

 remained at that or the Francis Lake station close to it 

 during the summer with two men, when they often 

 had a scarcity of food, but endured no severe privation. 

 Mr. O'Brien arrived at Frances Lake about the middle 

 of October, 1851, having been obliged to send thirteen 

 men in a boat, out of eighteen men and two boats, back 

 to head-quarters in consequence of the lateness of the 

 season and state of the waters. There were now seven 



