OF THE POLAR SEA. 177 



On this information we encamped, and being 

 too weak to walk myself, I sent St. Ger- 

 main to follow the tracks, with instructions 

 to the chief of the Indians to provide im- 

 mediate assistance for such of our friends 

 as might be at Fort Enterprise, as well as 

 for ourselves, and to lose no time in re- 

 turning to me. I was now so exhausted, 

 that had we not seen the tracks this day, I 

 must have remained at the next encamp- 

 ment, until the men could have sent aid 

 from Fort Providence. We had finished 

 our small portion of sinews, and were pre- 

 paring for rest, when an Indian boy made 

 his appearance with meat. St. Germain 

 had arrived before sunset at the tents of 

 Akaitcho, whom he found at the spot where 

 he had wintered last year ; but imagine my 

 surprise, when he gave me a note from the 

 Commander, and said that Benoit and Au- 

 gustus, two of the men, had just joined 

 them. The note was so confused, by the 

 pencil marks being partly rubbed out, that 

 I could not decipher it clearly ; but it in- 

 formed me, that he had attempted to come 



VOL. IV. N 



