20 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



when a crying scene took place, which 

 would have continued half the night, had 

 not the magic of an additional quantity of 

 spirits dried their tears, and once more 

 turned their mourning into joy. It was a 

 satisfaction to me to behold these poor 

 creatures enjoying themselves, for they had 

 behaved in the most exemplary and active 

 manner towards the party, and with a 

 generosity and sympathy seldom found even 

 in the more civilized parts of the world : 

 and the attention and affection, which they 

 manifested towards their wives, evinced a 

 benevolence of disposition and goodness of 

 nature which could not fail to secure the 

 approbation of the most indifferent observer. 



" The accounts I here received of our 

 goods were of so unsatisfactory a nature, 

 that I determined to proceed, as soon as the 

 lake was frozen, to Moose-Deer Island, or 

 if necessary to the Athabasca Lake ; both 

 to inform myself of the grounds of the 

 unceremonious and negligent manner in 

 which the Expedition had been treated, and 

 to obtain a sufficient supply of ammunition 



