344 Thirty Years 



on the Doctor's examining him he was found to he 

 speechless. He died in the course of the night. Sa- 

 mandrc sat up the greater part of the day, and even 

 assisted in pounding some bones ; but on witnessing 

 the melancholy state of Peltier, he became very low, 

 and began to complain of cold and stiffness of the 

 joints. Being unable to keep up a sufficient fire to 

 warm him, we laid him down and covered him with 

 several blankets. He did not, however, appear to get 

 better, and I deeply lament to add, he also died before 

 daylight. We removed the bodies of the deceased 

 into the opposite part of the house, but our united 

 strength was inadequate to the task of interring them, 

 or even carrying them down to the river. 



It may be worthy of remark that poor Peltier, from 

 the time of Benoit's departure, had fixed on the first 

 of November as the time when he should (.rase to ex- 

 pect any relief from the Indians, and had repeatedly 

 said that if they did not arrive by that day, he should 

 not survive. 



Peltier had endeared himself to each of us by hii 

 cheerfulness, his unerasing activity, and affectionate 

 care and attentions, ever since our arrival at this 

 place. [!c had cursed Adam with the tender es I solic- 

 iting the wli ile time. Poor Samandre was willing to 

 have taken his share in the labors of the party, had 

 he not. been wholly incapacitated by his weakness and 



