100 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1770. safety ; for notwithstanding the early season of the year, 

 eptem er. ^^^ weather was remarkably bad and severely cold, at least 

 it appeared so to us, probably from having no kind of skin- 

 clothing. In this forlorn state we continued our course to 

 the South East ; and, to add to the gloominess of our 

 situation, most of the Northern Indians who had been in 

 our company all the first part of the fall, were by this time 

 gone a-head, as we could not keep up with them for want 

 of snow-shoes. 

 2oth« In the evening of the twentieth, we were joined from the 

 Westward by a famous Leader, called Matonabbee, mentioned 

 in my instructions ; who, with his followers, or gang, was 

 also going to Prince of Wales's Fort, with furrs, and other 

 articles for trade. This Leader, when a youth, resided several 

 years at the above Fort, and was [53] not only a perfect master 

 of the Southern Indian language, but by being frequently 

 with the Company's servants, had acquired several words of 

 English, and was one of the men who brought the latest 

 accounts of the Coppermine River ; and it was on his infor- 

 mation, added to that of one I-dot-le-ezey, (who is since 

 dead), that this expedition was set on foot. 



The courteous behaviour of this stranger struck me very 

 sensibly. As soon as he was acquainted with our distress, 

 he got such skins as we had with us dressed for the Southern 

 Indians, and furnished me with a good warm suit of otter 

 and other skins : but, as it was not in his power to provide 

 us with snow-shoes, (being then on the barren ground), he 

 directed us to a little river which he knew, and where there 

 was a small range of woods, which, though none of the best, 

 would, he said, furnish us with temporary snow-shoes and 

 sledges, that might materially assist us during the remaining 

 part of our journey. We spent several nights in company 

 with this Leader, though we advanced towards the Fort at 

 the rate of ten or twelve miles a day ; and as provisions 

 abounded, he made a grand feast for me in the Southern 



