252 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



senior trader in the department, on the subject, when I had no 

 doubt that a satisfactory explanation would be given. The Indians 

 retired from the conference apparently satisfied, but this business 

 was in the end productive of much inconvenience to us, and proved 

 very detrimental to the progress of the Expedition. In conjunction 

 also with other intelligence conveyed in Mr. Back's letters re- 

 specting the disposition of the traders towards us, particularly a 

 statement of Mr. Weeks, that he had been desired not to assist us 

 with supplies from his post, it was productive of much present un- 

 easiness to me. 



On the 28th St. Germain, the interpreter, set out with eight Ca- 

 nadian voyagers and four Indian hunters to bring up our stores from 

 Fort Providence. I wrote by him to Mr. Smith, at Moose-Deer 

 Island, and Mr. Keith, at Chipewyan, both of the North-West Com- 

 pany, urging them in the strongest manner to comply with the re- 

 quisition for stores, which Mr. Back would present. I also informed 

 Mr. Simpson, principal agent in the Athabasca for the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, who had proffered every assistance in his power, that we 

 should gladly avail ourselves of the kind intentions expressed in a 

 letter which I had received from him. 



We also sent a number of broken axes to Slave Lake to be re- 

 paired. The dog that came to us on the 22d of October, and had 

 become very familiar, followed the party. We were in hopes that it 

 might prove of some use in dragging their loads, but we afterwards 

 learnt, that on the evening after their departure from the house, 

 they had the cruelty to kill and eat it, although they had no reason 

 to apprehend a scarcity of provision. A dog is considered to be 

 delicate eating by the voyagers. 



The mean temperature of the air for November was — 0.7°. The 

 greatest heat observed was 25° above, and the least 31° below, zero. 



On the 1 st of December the sky was clear, a slight appearance of 

 stratus only being visible near the horizon ; but a kind of snow fell 



