SHORT COMMONS. 329 



men and two officers at the post, with scarcely any food 

 commg m, and they were reduced to eatmg moose, 

 rein-deer, bear, and beaver skins ; half a moose skin 

 being the allowance for six men for one day. It may 

 be considered how httle food they had, from the fact 

 that Mr. O'Brien started in the spring of 1849 for 

 Port Halkett, 410 miles distant, with five men and 

 only four days' provision, eking out the remainder of 

 their subsistence by their guns. During the following 

 summer Mr. P., with two white men and an 

 engaged Indian, managed to live tolerably on the 

 produce of their guns and nets ; but at the latter end 

 of August food again began to be scarce, and they 

 anxiously looked forward to the arrival of the annual 

 boats from Fort Simpson with stores, ammunition, &c. 

 for the Indian trade. To their deep disappointment 

 none arrived. Having, therefore, no means of barter, 

 and this intelHgence quickly spreading amongst the 

 Indians, nothing in the shape of provisions was 

 brought in by the Indians, with the exception of six- 

 teen pounds of meat and six marmots. To add to 

 then* misery, the Port took fire late in November, and 

 was burned down : thus nearly all remaining resources 

 in store, including most of the furs, were destroyed, 

 a little powder and some furs only being saved. 

 Having eaten up everything to the very pack or 



