In the midst of this scene an untoward accident occurred which for a time interrupted our amusements.  The tent, in which Dr. Richardson and I lodged having caught fire from some embers that had been placed in it to expel the mosquitoes, was entirely burnt.  Hepburn, who was sleeping within it close to some powder, most providentially awoke in time to throw it clear of the flame and rescue the baggage before any material injury had been received.  We dreaded the consequences of this disaster upon the fickle minds of the Indians and wished it not to be communicated to them.  The chief however was soon informed of it by one of his people and expressed his desire that no future misfortune should be concealed from him.  We found that he was most concerned to hear that the flag had been burnt, but we removed his anxiety on that point by the assurance that it could easily be repaired.  We were advised by Mr. Wentzel to recommence the dancing after this event lest the Indians should imagine, by our putting a stop to it, that we considered the circumstance as an unfavourable commencement of our undertaking.  We were however deeply impressed with a grateful sense of the Divine Providence in averting the threatened destruction of our stores, which would have been fatal to every prospect of proceeding forward this season.

August 1.

This morning the Indians set out, intending to wait for us at the mouth of the Yellow-Knife River.  We remained behind to pack our stores in bales of eighty pounds each, an operation which could not be done in the presence of these Indians as they are in the habit of begging for everything they see.  Our stores consisted of two barrels of gunpowder, one hundred and forty pounds of ball and small shot, four fowling-pieces, a few old trading guns, eight pistols, twenty-four Indian daggers, some packages of knives, chisels, nails, and fastenings for a boat; a few yards of cloth, some blankets, needles, looking-glasses, and beads, together with nine fishing-nets, having meshes of different sizes.  Our provision was two casks of flour, two hundred dried reindeer tongues, some dried moose-meat, portable soup, and arrowroot, sufficient in the whole for ten days’ consumption, besides two cases of chocolate, and two canisters of tea.  We engaged another Canadian voyager at this place and the Expedition then consisted of twenty-eight persons, including the officers, and the wives of three of our voyagers, who were brought for the purpose of making shoes and clothes for the men at the winter establishment; there were also three children belonging to two of these women.*

(Footnote.  The following is the list of the officers and men who composed the Expedition on its departure from Fort Providence: 

John Franklin, Lieutenant of the Royal Navy and Commander. 
John Richardson, M.D., Surgeon of the Royal Navy. 
Mr. George Back, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. 
Mr. Robert Hood, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman. 
Mr. Frederick Wentzel, Clerk to the North-West Company. 
John Hepburn, English seaman.