JOURNEY ACROSS THE BARREN GROUNDS.

August 17, 1821.

My original intention, whenever the season should compel us to relinquish the survey, had been to return by the Copper-Mine River and, in pursuance of my arrangement with the Hook, to travel to Slave Lake through the line of woods extending thither by the Great Bear and Marten Lakes, but our scanty stock of provision and the length of the voyage rendered it necessary to make for a nearer place.  We had already found that the country between Cape Barrow and the Copper-Mine River would not supply our wants, and this it seemed probable would now be still the case, besides at this advanced season we expected the frequent recurrence of gales which would cause great detention if not danger in proceeding along that very rocky part of the coast.

I determined therefore to make at once for Arctic Sound where we had found the animals more numerous than at any other place and, entering Hood’s River, to advance up that stream as far as it was navigable and then to construct small canoes out of the materials of the larger ones, which could be carried in crossing the barren grounds to Fort Enterprise.

August 19.

We were almost beaten out of our comfortless abodes by rain during the night and this morning the gale continued without diminution.  The thermometer fell to 33 degrees.  Two men were sent with Junius to search for the deer which Augustus had killed.  Junius returned in the evening, bringing part of the meat but, owing to the thickness of the weather, his companions parted from him and did not make their appearance.  Divine service was read.  On the 20th we were presented with the most chilling prospect, the small pools of water being frozen over, the ground covered with snow, and the thermometer at the freezing-point at midday.  Flights of geese were passing to the southward.  The wind however was more moderate, having changed to the eastward.  Considerable anxiety prevailing respecting Belanger and Michel, the two men who strayed from Junius yesterday, the rest were sent out to look for them.  The search was successful and they all returned in the evening.  The stragglers were much fatigued and had suffered severely from the cold, one of them having his thighs frozen and, what under our present circumstances was most grievous, they had thrown away all the meat.  The wind during the night returned to the north-west quarter, blew more violently than ever, and raised a very turbulent sea.  The next day did not improve our condition, the snow remained on the ground, and the small pools were frozen.  Our hunters were sent out but they returned after a fatiguing day’s march without having seen any animals.  We made a scanty meal off a handful of pemmican, after which only half a bag remained.