178 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



with the two men, but finding his strength 

 inadequate to the task, he relinquished his 

 design, and returned to Fort Enterprise, to 

 await relief with the others. There was 

 another note for the gentleman in charge of 

 Fort Providence, desiring him to send meat, 

 blankets, shoes, and tobacco. Akaitcho 

 wished me to join him on the ensuing day, 

 at a place which the boy knew, where they 

 were going to fish ; and I was the more 

 anxious to do so, on account of my compa- 

 nions : but particularly that I might hear a 

 full relation of what had happened, and of 

 the Commander's true situation, which I 

 suspected to be much worse than he had 

 described. 



In the afternoon I joined the Indians, and 

 repeated to Akaitcho what St. Germain had 

 told him ; he seemed much affected, and 

 said, he would have sent relief directly, 

 though I had not been there ; indeed, his 

 conduct was generous and humane. The 

 next morning, at an early hour, three In- 

 dians, with loaded sledges of meat, skins, 

 shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort En- 



