On The Seventh Day
After I Had Joined The Leader, Etc.
Etc., and journeying on together, all
the Indians excepting Petit Pied and Bald-Head left me to seek their
Families and crossed Point Lake at the Crow's Nest, where Humpy had
promised to meet his brother Ekehcho (Akaitcho the Leader) with the
families but did not fulfil, nor did any of my party of Indians know
where to find them, for we had frequently made fires to apprise them of
our approach yet none appeared in return as answers. This disappointment
as might be expected served to increase the ill-humour of the Leader and
party, the brooding of which (agreeably to Indian custom) was liberally
discharged on me, in bitter reproach for having led them from their
families and exposed them to dangers and hardships which, but for my
influence, they said they might have spared themselves. Nevertheless they
still continued to profess the sincerest desire of meeting your wishes in
making caches of provisions and remaining until a late season on the road
that leads from Fort Enterprise to Fort Providence, through which the
Expedition-men had travelled so often the year before, remarking however
at the same time that they had not the least hopes of ever seeing one
person return from the Expedition. These alarming fears I never could
persuade them to dismiss from their minds; they always sneered at what
they called my credulity. "If," said the Gros Pied (also Akaitcho) "the
Great Chief (meaning Captain Franklin) or any of his party should pass at
my tents, he or they shall be welcome to all my provisions or anything
else that I may have." And I am sincerely happy to understand by your
communication that in this he had kept his word, in sending you with such
promptitude and liberality the assistance your truly dreadful situation
required.
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