But Mr. Wallace and Mr. M’Kenzie still thinking of getting the canoe out, and wanted me to go up the Grand Lake and up by Beaver Brook, to get the canoe out to Northwest River.

I was not careful of undertaking the trip.  My reasons why—­I knew how long it would take me to go up and back again to Northwest River.  It would take me nearly two weeks.  I thought it would be pretty late when we could make a start on our trip to Battle Harbor, and would miss the boat that Dr. Macpherson told us would be in Battle Harbor about the 1st of May.  Also I was sure that the canoe would be crushed to pieces with the weight of the snow, as we left it in a place where it had a good chance of being crushed to the ground.  If we had put it in some shelter where it would be all right, or if we had put it on a stage to keep in good shape; but when we had just taken it out of the river, and just left it along the open, I knew it could not be safe.  I thought it was a piece of nonsense to try and get it out, and would be only a trip for nothing.  Even then I would be willing to go if it hadn’t been so late.  Also I thought it was hardly fair to try and force me to go any way, because I knew that I wasn’t under either of them.  I was hired by Mr. Hubbard on the trip and we had to do all the planning.  It was Mr. Hubbard’s expedition, and we had to obey him and try to help him in all we could while we were yet together.  Also Mr. Hubbard had done and has always left things in my care to which I thought it would be better for us to do, and has gone by my plans a good deal, though he was the head of the party.  Also what was belonging to Mr. Hubbard, knowing that I had just as much rights with some of his things as any one had, and in fact that I had already done that would be required, and had gotten out everything that I thought was necessary to be gotten out from the bush.  However at last I said that I would go if I got a dog team.  So I got ready to start to go for the canoe.

Wallace told me, “You see, if when you went up, if you had dug up the canoe out of the snow and put it up on a stage, you wouldn’t have to go up again.”

I said, “I do not have to go up again.  It is not long since I had my trip up there.  I think I have done my part.”

I was to start Tuesday, April 12th.

Monday, April 1lth.—­Mr. Wallace wrote a letter and wrote to John Groves telling him to be at Northwest River at such a day, about the time we would be out with the canoe from Grand Lake and Beaver River.  Sent his letter up by Carl Hope.

Tuesday, April 12th.—­A pile snowing and we could not go.  Mark Blake and I were to start this morning but too stormy.

Wednesday, April 13th.—­Still very stormy and lots of new snow has been falling, and could not make a start again.  I told Wallace and M’Kenzie that if I could not go off again the next morning I would give up the trip and not go at all, as it was getting too late.