icar, who expected us about this
time. We set off in the morning before day break, with several
companions, and arrived at Moose-deer Island about one P.M. Here we were
received with the utmost hospitality by Mr. McVicar, the chief trader of
the Hudson's Bay Company in this district, as well as by his assistant
Mr. McAuley. We had also the happiness of joining our friend, Mr. Back;
our feelings on this occasion can be well imagined, and we were deeply
impressed with gratitude to him for his exertions in sending the supply
of food to Fort Enterprise, to which, under Divine Providence, we felt
the preservation of our lives to be owing. He gave us an affecting
detail of the proceedings of his party since our separation; the
substance of which I shall convey to the reader, by the following
extracts from his Journal.

MR. BACK'S NARRATIVE.

1821. October 4.

Captain Franklin having directed me to proceed with St. Germain,
Belanger, and Beauparlant, to Fort Enterprise, in the hope of obtaining
relief for the party, I took leave of my companions, and set out on my
journey, through a very swampy country, which with the cloudy state of
the weather and a keen north-east wind, accompanied by frequent snow
showers, retarded us so much, that we scarcely got more than four miles
before we halted for the night, and made a meal of _tripe de roche_ and
some old leather.

On the 5th we set out early, amidst extremely deep snow, sinking
frequently in it up to the thighs, a labour in our enfeebled and almost
worn out state, that nothing but the cheering hopes of reaching the
house and affording relief to our friends, could have enabled us to
support. As we advanced we found to our mortification, that the _tripe
de roche_, hitherto our sole dependence, began to be scarce, so that we
could only collect sufficient to make half a kettleful, which, with the
addition of a partridge each, that St. Germain had killed, yielded a
tolerable meal; during this day I felt very weak and sore in the
joints, particularly between the shoulders. At eight we encamped among a
small clump of willows.

On the 6th we set out at an early hour, pursuing our route over a range
of hills at the foot of one of which we saw several large pines, and a
great quantity of willows; a sight that encouraged us to quicken our
pace, as we were now certain we could not be far from the woods. Indeed
we were making considerable progress, when Belanger unfortunately broke
t