70 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the Indian lodges, having made the neces* 

 sary arrangements with Akaitcho for the 

 drying of meat for summer use, the bring- 

 ing fresh meat to the fort, and the procuring 

 a sufficient quantity of the resin of the 

 spruce fir, or as it is termed by the voyagers 

 gum, for repairing the canoes previous to 

 starting, and during the voyage. By my 

 desire, he had promised payment to the 

 Indian women who should bring in any of 

 the latter article, and had sent several of 

 our own men to the woods to search for it. 

 At this time I communicated to Mr. Wentzel 

 the mode in which I meant to conduct the 

 journey of the approaching summer. Upon 

 our arrival at the sea, I proposed to reduce 

 the party to what would be sufficient to 

 man two canoes, in order to lessen the con- 

 sumption of provisions during our voyage, 

 or journey along the coast ; and as Mr. 

 Wentzel had expressed a desire of proceed- 

 ing no farther than the mouth of the Cop- 

 per-Mine River, which was seconded by 

 the Indians, who wished him to return with 

 them, I readily relieved his anxiety on this 



