134 Thirty Years 
tion, as the two hunters, who had been sent out to 
look for him, returned at sunset without having seen 
him. Akaitcho arrived with his party, and we were 
greatly disappointed at finding they had stored up 
only fifteen reindeer forus. St. Germain informed us, 
that having heard of the death of the chief’s brother- 
in-law, they had spent several days in bewailing his 
loss, instead of hunting. We learned also, that the 
decease of this man had caused another party of the 
tribe, who had been sent by Mr. Wentzel to prepare 
provision for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine 
River, to remove to the shores of the Great Bear Lake, 
distant from our proposed route. Mortifying as these 
circumstances were, they produced less painful sensa- 
tions than we experienced in the evening, by the re- 
fusal of Akaitcho to accompany us in the proposed de- 
scent of the Copper Mine River. When Mr. Wentzel, 
by my direction, communicated to him my intention 
of proceeding at once on that service, he desired a con- 
ference with me upon the subject, which being imme- 
diately granted, he began by stating, that the very 
attempt would be rash and dangerous, as the weather 
was cold, the leaves were falling, some geese had 
passed to the southward, and the winter would shortly 
set in ; and that, as he considered the lives of all who 
went on such a journey would be forfeited, he neither 
would go himself, nor permit his hunters to accompany 
