OF THE POLAR SEA. 83 



in his concerns with them, with an asperity 

 of language that bore more the appearance 

 of menace than complaint. I immediately 

 refused to discuss this topic, as foreign to 

 our present business, and desired Akaitcho 

 to recall to memory, that he had told me 

 on our first meeting, that he considered me 

 the father of every person attached to the 

 Expedition, in which character it was surely 

 my duty to provide for the comfort and 

 safety of the Canadians as well as the In- 

 dians. The voyagers, he knew, had a long 

 journey to perform, and would, in all pro- 

 bability, be exposed to much suffering from 

 cold on a coast destitute of wood ; and, 

 therefore, required a greater provision of 

 clothing than was necessary for the Indians, 

 who, by returning immediately from the 

 mouth of the river, would reach Fort Pro- 

 vidence in August, and obtain their pro- 

 mised rewards. Most of the Indians ap- 

 peared to assent to this argument, but 

 Akaitcho said, " I perceive the traders 

 have deceived you ; you should have 

 brought more goods, but I do not blame 

 g 2 



