142 - JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



not merely from curiosity, but a desire to 

 evince their tender sympathy in our late 

 distress. We learned that Mr. Back, with 

 St. Germain and Belanger, had gone to Fort 

 Providence ; and that previous to his de- 

 parture he had left a letter in a cache of 

 pounded meat, which we had missed two 

 days ago. As we suppossed that this letter 

 might acquaint us with his intentions more 

 fully than we could gather from the Indians, 

 through our imperfect knowledge of their 

 language, Augustus the Esquimaux, whom 

 we found here in perfect health, and an 

 Indian lad, were despatched to bring it. 



We found several of the Indian families 

 in great affliction for the loss of three of 

 their relatives, who had been drowned in 

 the August preceding by the upsetting of a 

 canoe near Fort Enterprise. They bewailed 

 the melancholy accident every morning and 

 evening by repeating the names of the per- 

 sons in a loud singing tone, which was fre- 

 quently interrupted by bursts of tears. One 

 woman was so affected by the" loss of her 

 only son, that she seemed deprived of 



