42 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



well, though Cree was his tongue ; but Frar^ois, while 

 speaking only very broken English, could converse in 

 French, Cree and Chippewyan, his knowledge of the 

 last making him subsequently very useful as an inter- 

 preter. 



Our party, consisting of eight men, with three canoes, 

 was now complete, and thus assembled, the cleanest 



CHIPPEWYAN CAMP. 



available ground remote from Indian lodges was chosen, 

 and camp pitched to await the arrival of the four 

 hundred pounds of supplies left with Schott at Grand 

 Rapid. We soon found we were not the only ones 

 waiting, and that anxiously, for the arrival of the scows 

 from the south. The entire population then at Fort 

 McMurray was in a state of famine. Supplies at the 



