OF THE POLAR SEA. 



489 



I sent St. Germain to follow the tracks, with instructions to the 

 Chief of the Indians to provide immediate assistance for such of 

 our friends who might be at Fort Enterprise, as well as for our- 

 selves, and to lose no time in returning to me. I was now so 

 exhausted, that had we not seen the tracks this day, I had deter- 

 mined on remaining at the next encampment, until the men could 

 have sent aid from Fort Providence. We had finished our small 

 portion of sinews, and were preparing 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 Augustus, 

 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 informed me, that he had attempted to 

 come 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 two companions : but particularly to 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 morn- 

 ing, at an early hour, three Indians, with loaded sledges of meat, 

 skins, shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort Enterprise ; one of 

 them was to return directly with an answer from Captain Franklin, 



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