OF THE POLAR SEA. 



65 



who had become endeared to me by their 

 constant kindness and co-operation, and a 

 participation of numerous sufferings. This 

 trial I could not have been induced to 

 undergo, but for the reasons they had so 

 strongly urged the day before, to which my 

 own judgment assented, and for the sanguine 

 hope I felt of either finding a supply of 

 provision at Fort Enterprise, or meeting the 

 Indians in the immediate vicinity of that 

 place, according to my arrangements with 

 Mr. Wentzel and Akaitcho. Previously to 

 our starting, Peltier and Benoit repeated 

 their promises, t;o return to them with pro- 

 vision, if any should be found at the house, 

 or to guide the Indians to them, if any were 

 met. 



Greatly as Mr. Hood was exhausted, and 

 indeed incapable, as he must have proved, 

 of encountering the fatigue of our very next 

 day's journey, so that I felt his resolution 

 to be prudent, I was sensible that his deter- 

 mination to remain was chiefly prompted 

 by the disinterested and generous wish to 

 remove impediments to the progress of the 



VOL. IV. E 



