312 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



might travel over it, I signified my intention of sending the first 

 party off on Monday the 4th of June. I was anxious to get the 

 Indians to move on before, but they fingered about the house, 

 evidently with the intention of picking up such articles as we might 

 deem unnecessary to take. When Akaitcho was made acquainted 

 with my purpose of sending away a party of men, he came to inform 

 me that he would appoint two hunters to accompany them, and at 

 the same time requested that Dr. Richardson, or as he called him, 

 the Medicine Chief, might be sent with his own band. These 

 Indians set a great value upon medicine, and made many demands 

 upon Dr. Richardson on the prospect of his departure. He had to 

 make up little packets, of the different articles in his chest, not only 

 for the leader, but for each of the minor chiefs, who carefully placed 

 them in their medicine bags, noting in their memories the di- 

 rections he gave for their use. The readiness with which their 

 requests for medical assistance were complied with, was considered by 

 them as a strong mark of our good intentions towards them ; and the 

 leader often remarked, that they owed much to our kindness in that 

 respect ; that formerly numbers had died every year, but that not 

 a life had been lost since our arrival amongst them. In the present 

 instance, however, the leader's request could not be complied with. 

 Dr. Richardson had volunteered to conduct the first party to the 

 Copper-Mine River, whilst the rest of the officers remained with me 

 to the last moment, to complete our astronomical observations at 

 the house. He, therefore, informed the leader that he would remain 

 stationary at Point Lake until the arrival of the whole party, where 

 he might be easily consulted if any of his people fell sick, as it was 

 in the neighbourhood of their hunting grounds. 



On the 2nd the stores were packed up in proper sized bales for 

 the journey. I had intended to send the canoes by the first party, 

 but they were not yet repaired, the weather not being sufficiently 

 warm to permit the men to work constantly at them, without the 



