314 Thirty Years 



necessary to abandon the original intention of proceed- 

 ing with the whole party towards Fort Providence, 

 and Peltier and Samandre having volunteered to re- 

 main with Adam, I determined on setting out with 

 Benoit and Augustus, intending to send them relief 

 by the first party of Indians we should meet. My 

 clothes were so much torn, as to be quite inadequate 

 to screen me from the wind, and Peltier and Samandre 

 fearing that I might suffer on the journey in conse- 

 quence, kindly exchanged with me parts of their dress, 

 desiring me to send them skins in return by the In- 

 dians. Having patched up three pair of snow-shoes, 

 and singed a considerable quantity of skin for the jour- 

 ney, we started on the morning of the 20th. Previous 

 to my departure, I packed op the journals of the offi- 

 cers, the charts, and Bome other doeuments, together 

 with a letter addressed to the Under Secretary of 

 te, detailing the occurrences of the Expedition up 

 to tliis period, which package was given in charge to 

 Peltierand Samandre, with direction that it should he 

 broughl away by the Indians who might come to th( 

 1 also instructed them to forward succor immediately 

 on its arrival to our companions in the rear, which 



they solemnly promised to do, and 1 left a letter for 



. friends. Richardson and Bood, to be sen! at the 

 same tine'. I thoughl i < iy to admonish Pel- 



tier, Samandrt, and Adam,toeat two meals every day, 



