OF THE POLAR SEA. 93 



towards them; and the leader often re- 

 marked, that they owed much to our kind- 

 ness in that respect ; that formerly numbers 

 had died every year, but that not a life had 

 been lost since our arrival amongst them. 

 In the present instance, however, the leader's 

 request could not be complied with. Dr. 

 Richardson had volunteered to conduct the 

 first party to the Copper-Mine River, whilst 

 the rest of the officers remained with me to 

 the last moment, to complete our astrono- 

 mical observations at the house. He, there- 

 fore, informed the leader that he would re- 

 main stationary at Point Lake until the ar- 

 rival of the whole party, where he might be 

 easily consulted if any of his people fell 

 sick, as it was in the neighbourhood of their 

 hunting-grounds . 



On the 2d the stores were packed up in 

 proper-sized bales for the journey. I had 

 intended to send the canoes by the first 

 party, but they were not yet repaired, the 

 weather not being sufficiently warm for the 

 men to work constantly at them, without 

 the hazard of breaking the bark. This 



