CHAPTER 10.*

(Footnote.  It will be seen hereafter that I had the misfortune to lose my portfolio containing my journals from Fort Enterprise to the 14th of September.  But the loss has been amply redeemed by my brother officers’ journals from which the narrative up to that period has been chiefly compiled.)

DEPARTURE FROM FORT ENTERPRISE. 
NAVIGATION OF THE COPPER-MINE RIVER. 
VISIT TO THE COPPER MOUNTAIN. 
INTERVIEW WITH THE ESQUIMAUX. 
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIAN HUNTERS. 
ARRANGEMENTS MADE WITH THEM FOR OUR RETURN.

DEPARTURE FROM FORT ENTERPRISE.

June 14, 1821.

The trains for the canoes having been finished during the night the party attached to them commenced their journey at ten this morning.  Each canoe was dragged by four men assisted by two dogs.  They took the route of Winter Lake with the intention of following, although more circuitous, the watercourse as far as practicable, it being safer for the canoes than travelling overland.  After their departure the remaining stores, the instruments, and our small stock of dried meat, amounting only to eighty pounds, were distributed equally among Hepburn, three Canadians, and the two Esquimaux; with this party and two Indian hunters we quitted Fort Enterprise, most sincerely rejoicing that the long-wished-for day had arrived when we were to proceed towards the final object of the Expedition.

We left in one of the rooms a box containing a journal of the occurrences up to this date, the charts and some drawings, which was to be conveyed to Fort Chipewyan by Mr. Wentzel on his return from the sea and thence to be sent to England.  The room was blocked up and, by the advice of Mr. Wentzel, a drawing representing a man holding a dagger in a threatening attitude was affixed to the door to deter any Indians from breaking it open.  We directed our course towards the Dog-Rib Rock but, as our companions were loaded with the weight of near one hundred and eighty pounds each, we of necessity proceeded at a slow pace.  The day was extremely warm and the mosquitoes, whose attacks had hitherto been feeble, issued forth in swarms from the marshes and were very tormenting.  Having walked five miles we encamped near a small cluster of pines about two miles from the Dog-Rib Rock.  The canoe party had not been seen since they set out.  Our hunters went forward to Marten Lake, intending to wait for us at a place where two deer were deposited.  At nine P.M. the temperature of the air was 63 degrees.

We resumed our march at an early hour and crossed several lakes which lay in our course as the ice enabled the men to drag their burdens on trains formed of sticks and deers’ horns with more ease than they could carry them on their backs.  We were kept constantly wet by this operation as the ice had broken near the shores of the lakes but this was little regarded as the day was unusually warm, the temperature at two