42 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF (CANADA: 
well, though Cree was his tongue; but Francois, while 
speaking only very broken English, could converse in 
French, Cree and Chippewyan, his knowledge of the 
last making him subsequently very useful as an inter- 
preter. 
Our party, consisting of eight men, with three canoes, 
was now complete, and thus assembled, the cleanest 
CHIPPEWYAN CAMP. 
available ground remote from Indian lodges was chosen, 
and camp pitched to await the arrival of the four 
hundred pounds of supphes left with Schott at Grand 
Rapid. We soon found we were not the only ones 
waiting, and that anxiously, for the arrival of the scows 
from the south. The entire population then at Fort 
McMurray was ina state of famine. Supplies at the 
