In the afternoon I joined the Indians and repeated to Akaitcho what St. Germain had told him; he seemed much affected and said he would have sent relief directly though I had not been there; indeed his conduct was generous and humane.  The next morning at an early hour three Indians with loaded sledges of meat, skins, shoes, and a blanket, set out for Fort Enterprise; one of them was to return directly with an answer from Captain Franklin to whom I wrote but, in the event of his death, he was to bring away all the papers he could find, and he promised to travel with such haste as to be able to return to us on the fourth day.  I was now somewhat more at ease, having done all in my power to succour my unfortunate companions, but was very anxious for the return of the messenger.  The Indians brought me meat in small quantities though sufficient for our daily consumption and, as we had a little ammunition, many were paid on the spot for what they gave.

On the 9th I had the satisfaction of seeing the Indian arrive from Fort Enterprise.  At first he said they were all dead but shortly after he gave me a note which was from the Commander and then I learned all the fatal particulars which had befallen them.  I now proposed that the chief should immediately send three sledges loaded with meat to Fort Enterprise, should make a cache of provision at our present encampment, and also that he should here await the arrival of the Commander.  By noon two large trains laden with meat were sent off for Fort Enterprise.  The next day we proceeded on our journey and arrived at Fort Providence on the 21st of November.

CONCLUSION OF MR. BACK’S NARRATIVE.

...

CONCLUSION.

I have little now to add to the melancholy detail into which I felt it proper to enter, but I cannot omit to state that the unremitting care and attentions of our kind friends Mr. McVicar and Mr. McAuley, united with our improved diet to promote to the restoration of our health, so that by the end of February the swellings of our limbs which had returned upon us entirely subsided, and we were able to walk to any part of the island.  Our appetites gradually moderated and we nearly regained our ordinary state of body before the spring.  Hepburn alone suffered from a severe attack of rheumatism which confined him to his bed for some weeks.  The usual symptoms of spring having appeared, on the 25th of May we prepared to embark for Fort Chipewyan.  Fortunately on the following morning a canoe arrived from that place with the whole of the stores which we required for the payment of Akaitcho and the hunters.  It was extremely gratifying to us to be thus enabled, previous to our departure, to make arrangements respecting the requital of our late Indian companions, and the more so as we had recently discovered that Akaitcho and the whole of his tribe, in consequence of the death of the leader’s mother and the wife of our old guide Keskarrah, had broken and destroyed every useful article belonging to them and were in the greatest distress.  It was an additional pleasure to find our stock of ammunition more than sufficient to pay them what was due, and that we could make a considerable present of this most essential article to every individual that had been attached to the Expedition.