358 Thirty Tears 



intelligence of the successful termination of Captain 

 Parry's voyage ; and were informed of the promotion 

 of myself and Mr. Back, and of poor Hood, our grief 

 for whose loss was renewed by this intelligence. The 

 gratification which it would otherwise have afforded, 

 was materially damped by our sincere regret that he 

 had not lived to receive this just reward of his merit 

 and services. The letter from Mr. Back stated, that 

 the rival Companies in the fur trade had united ; but 

 that, owing to some cause which had not been ex- 

 plained to him, the goods intended as rewards to 

 Akaitcho and his band, which we had demanded in the 

 spring from the North-West Company, were not sent. 

 There were, however, some stores lying for us at Moose- 

 deer Island, which had been ordered for the equipment 

 of our voyagers ; and Mr. Back had gone across to that 

 establishment, to make a selection of the articles we 

 Could spare fur a temporary present to the Indians. 

 The disappointment at the non-arrival of the goods 

 was seriously it-It by us, as we had looked thru ard with 

 pleasure to the. time when we should be enabled to 

 recompense bur kind Indian friends, for their tender 



sympathy in our dist resses, and the assistance they 



had bo cheerfully and promptly rendered. I now re- 

 gretted to find, that Mr. Wentzel and his party, in 

 their return from the sea, had Buffered severely on 



their march along the Copper-MlUC River, having on 



