The Extreme Scarcity Of Provision At The Posts Rendered It Necessary To
Despatch All Our Men To The Mammawee Lake Where They Might Procure Their
Own Subsistence By Fishing.
The women and children resident at the fort
were also sent away for the same purpose; and no other families were
permitted to remain at the houses after the departure of the canoes than
those belonging to the men who were required to carry on the daily duty.
The large party of officers and men which had assembled here from the
different posts in the department was again quickly dispersed. The first
brigade of canoes laden with furs was despatched to the depot on May 30th
and the others followed in two or three days afterwards. Mr. Stuart, the
senior partner of the North-West Company, quitted us for the same
destination on June 4th; Mr. Robertson for his depot on the next day; and
on the 9th we parted with our friend Mr. Keith, to whose unremitting
kindness we felt much indebted. I entrusted to his care a box containing
some drawings by Mr. Back, the map of our route from Cumberland House,
and the skin of a black beaver (presented to the Expedition by Mr. Smith)
with my official letters addressed to the Under-Secretary of State. I
wrote by each of these gentlemen to inform Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood of
the scarcity of stores at these posts and to request them to procure all
they possibly could on their route.
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