254 Thirty Years 



from making an insecure step on a slippery stone ; on 

 one of these occasions, the largest canoe was so much 

 broken as to be rendered utterly unserviceable. This 

 was felt as a serious disaster, as the remaining canoe 

 having through mistake been made too small, it was 

 doubtful whether it would be sufficient to carry us 

 across a river. Indeed we had found it necessary in 

 crossing Hood's Kiver, to lash the two canoes together. 

 As there was some suspicion that Benoit, who carried 

 the canoe, had broken it intentionally, he having on a 

 former occasion been overheard by some of the men to 

 say, that he would do so when he got it in charge, we 

 closely examined him on the point ; he roundly denied 

 having used the expressions attributed to him, and 

 insisted that it was broken by his falling accidentally ; 

 and as he brought men to attest the latter fact, who 

 saw him tumble, we did not press the matter further. 

 I may here remark, that our people had murmured a 

 good deal at having to carry two canoes, though they 

 were Informed of the necessity of taking both, in case 

 it should be deemed advisable to divide the party ; 

 which it had been thought probable we should he 

 obliged to do, if animals proved BCarce, in order to 

 give the whole the better chance of procuring bud- 



si-1' cce, and also for the purpose of Bending forward 

 BOme of the best walkers to search lor Indians, and to 



get them f<> nicei ns witli supplies of provision. The 



