On the following morning the tent was pitched; Michel went out early,
refused my offer to accompany him, and remained out the whole day. He
would not sleep in the tent at night but chose to lie at the fireside.
On the 13th there was a heavy gale of wind and we passed the day by the
fire. Next day about two P.M., the gale abating, Michel set out as he
said to hunt but returned unexpectedly in a very short time. This conduct
surprised us and his contradictory and evasory answers to our questions
excited some suspicions but they did not turn towards the truth.
October 15th.
In the course of this day Michel expressed much regret that he had stayed
behind Mr. Franklin's party, and declared that he would set out for the
house at once if he knew the way. We endeavoured to sooth him and to
raise his hopes of the Indians speedily coming to our relief but without
success. He refused to assist us in cutting wood but about noon, after
much solicitation, he set out to hunt. Hepburn gathered a kettleful of
tripe de roche but froze his fingers. Both Hepburn and I fatigued
ourselves much today in pursuing a flock of partridges from one part to
another of the group of willows in which the hut was situated, but we
were too weak to be able to approach them with sufficient caution. In the
evening Michel returned, having met with no success.
Next day he refused either to hunt or cut wood, spoke in a very surly
manner, and threatened to leave us. Under these circumstances Mr. Hood
and I deemed it better to promise if he would hunt diligently for four
days that then we would give Hepburn a letter for Mr. Franklin, a
compass, inform him what course to pursue, and let them proceed together
to the fort. The non-arrival of the Indians to our relief now led us to
fear that some accident had happened to Mr. Franklin, and we placed no
confidence in the exertions of the Canadians that accompanied him but we
had the fullest confidence in Hepburn's returning the moment he could
obtain assistance.
On the 17th I went to conduct Michel to where Vaillant's blanket was left
and after walking about three miles pointed out the hills to him at a
distance, and returned to the hut, having gathered a bagful of tripe de
roche on the way. It was easier to gather this weed on a march than at
the tent, for the exercise of walking produced a glow of heat which
enabled us to withstand for a time the cold to which we were exposed in
scraping the frozen surface of the rocks. On the contrary when we left
the fire to collect it in the neighbourhood of the hut we became chilled
at once and were obliged to return very quickly.
Michel proposed to remain out all night and to hunt next day on his way
back. He returned in the afternoon of the 18th, having found the blanket
together with a bag containing two pistols and some other things which
had been left beside it. We had some tripe de roche in the evening but
Mr. Hood, from the constant griping it produced, was unable to eat more
than one or two spoonfuls. He was now so weak as to be scarcely able to
sit up at the fireside and complained that the least breeze of wind
seemed to blow through his frame. He also suffered much from cold during
the night. We lay close to each other but the heat of the body was no
longer sufficient to thaw the frozen rime formed by our breaths on the
blankets that covered him.
At this period we avoided as much as possible conversing upon the
hopelessness of our situation and generally endeavoured to lead the
conversation towards our future prospects in life. The fact is that with
the decay of our strength our minds decayed, and we were no longer able
to bear the contemplation of the horrors that surrounded us. Each of us,
if I may be allowed to judge from my own case, excused himself from so
doing by a desire of not shocking the feelings of others, for we were
sensible of one another's weakness of intellect though blind to our own.
Yet we were calm and resigned to our fate, not a murmur escaped us, and
we were punctual and fervent in our addresses to the Supreme Being.
On the 19th Michel refused to hunt or even to assist in carrying a log of
wood to the fire which was too heavy for Hepburn's strength and mine. Mr.
Hood endeavoured to point out to him the necessity and duty of exertion,
and the cruelty of his quitting us without leaving something for our
support, but the discourse, far from producing any beneficial effect,
seemed only to excite his anger and, amongst other expressions, he made
use of the following remarkable one: "It is no use hunting, there are no
animals, you had better kill and eat me." At length however he went out
but returned very soon with a report that he had seen three deer which he
was unable to follow from having wet his foot in a small stream of water
thinly covered with ice and being consequently obliged to come to the
fire. The day was rather mild and Hepburn and I gathered a large
kettleful of tripe de roche; Michel slept in the tent this night.
Sunday, October 20.
In the morning we again urged Michel to go a-hunting that he might if
possible leave us some provision, tomorrow being the day appointed for
his quitting us, but he showed great unwillingness to go out and lingered
about the fire under the pretence of cleaning his gun.
