IKTELLIGENCE OF CAPTAIN BOSS'S RETURN. 333 



CHAPTER VI. 



INTELLIGENCE OF THE RETURN OF CAPTAIN ROSS AND HIS CREW — EXPLORATION 

 OF GREAT FISH RIVER — RUNNING THE RAPIDS — " IS THIS A TIME FOR PRAY- 

 ING ■? " THE POLAR SEA REACHED CONCLUSION OF VOYAGE. 



On the 26th March a messenger from York Factory arrived at Fort Eeliance 

 with a packet of letters which Back had been expecting daily for six weeks. 

 Delivering his packet, the bearer stated that he believed he ha>d only brought 

 half of the letters, and that the other half had been sent forward from 

 Fort Resolution a month previously under the charge of a Caiiaadian and an 

 Iroquois, accompanied by Augustus, the faithful Eskimo interpreter* who 

 had so loyally served Franklin and Back in their former journeys. Little 

 Augustus had heard that Back was in the country, had resolved to join him, 

 and had walked all the way from Hudson's Bay to Fort Eesolution with 

 that intention. Setting out with the Canadian and Iroquois (the letter- 

 carriers), Augustus commenced the journey to Fort Eeliance. The three, 

 however, lost their way; two of them returned to Fort Eesolution, but 

 Augustus, anxious to meet his old friend, went forward aloiie. Nothing 

 had since been heard of him, and, as he carried only a few pounds of provi- 

 sions with him, it was feared that he had perished. Back's anxiety for the 

 fate of the afifectionate interpreter was intense, but it was soon to be allayed. 

 On the S5th April, when the inmates of Fort Eeliance were sitting together, 

 talking about absent friends, a loud rapping was heard at the door. "The 

 permission to come in," says Back, " was unnecessary, for the person followed 

 the announcement before the words could be uttered, and with the same 

 despatch, thrust into my hands a packet which a glance suf3[iced to tell me 

 was from England. 'He is returned, sir!' he exclaimed, as we looked at 

 him with surprise. ' What ! Augustus ! Thank God ! ' I replied quickly. 

 ' No ! Captain Eoss, sir ! Captain Eoss has returned ! ' ' Eh 1 : are you quite 

 sure ? Is there no error 1 Where is the account from V The man paused, 

 looked at me, and pointing with his finger, said, ' You have it in your hand, 

 sir.' It was so ; the packet had been forgotten in the excitement and hurry 

 of my feelings. Two open extracts from the Times and Morning Herald 

 confirmed the tidings. . . . To me the intelligence was peculiarly grati- 

 fying, not only as verifying my previously expressed opinions, but as demon- 



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