316 Thirty Years 
This accident prevented me from keeping pace with 
Benoit and Augustus, and in the attempt I became 
quite exhausted. Being convinced that their being 
delayed on my account might prove of fatal conse- 
quence to the rest, I resolved on returning tothe 
house, and letting them proceed alone in search of the 
Indians. I therefore halted them only whilst I wrote 
a note to Mr. Back, stating the reason of my return, 
and requesting he would send meat from Reindeer 
Lake by these men, if St. Germain should kill any 
animals there. If Benoit should miss Mr. Back, I di- 
rected him to proceed to Fort Providence, and fur- 
nished him with a letter to the gentleman in charge 
of it, requesting immediate supplies might be sent 
to us. 
On my arrival at the house, I found Samandré very 
dispirited, and too weak, as he said, to render any as- 
sistance to Peltier ; upon whom the whole labor of’ 
getting wood and collecting the means of subsistence 
would have devolved. Conscious, too, that his 
strength would have been unequal to these tasks, they 
had determined upon taking only one meal each day ; 
under these circumstances I considered my return as 
particularly fortunate, as I hoped to stimulate Sa- 
mandré to exertion, and at any rate I could contribute 
some help to Peltier. I undertook the office of cook- 
ing, and insisted that they should eat twice a day 
