a note to the Commander, whom I
supposed to be by this time at Fort Enterprise, to inform him of our
situation; not that I imagined for a moment he could amend it, but that
by all returning to the fort we might, perhaps, have better success in
hunting; with this view I despatched Belanger, much against his
inclination, and told him to return as quickly as possible to a place
about four miles further on, where we intended to fish, and to await his
arrival. The men were so weak this day, that I could get neither of them
to move from the encampment; and it was only necessity that compelled
them to cut wood for fuel, in performing which operation Beauparlant's
face became so dreadfully swelled that he could scarcely see; I myself
lost my temper on the most trivial circumstances, and was become very
peevish; the day was fine but cold, with a freezing north-east wind. We
had nothing to eat.

_October 15_.--The night was calm and clear, but it was not before two
in the afternoon that we set out; and the one was so weak, and the other
so full of complaints, that we did not get more than three-quarters of a
mile from our last encampment, before we were obliged to put up; but in
this distance we were fortunate enough to kill a partridge, the bones
of which were eaten, and the remainder reserved for baits to fish with.
We, however, collected sufficient _tripe de roche_ to make a meal: and I
anxiously awaited Belanger's return, to know what course to take. I was
now so much reduced, that my shoulders were as if they would fall from
my body, my legs seemed unable to support me, and in the disposition in
which I then found myself, had it not been for the remembrance of my
friends behind, who relied on me for relief, as well as the persons of
whom I had charge, I certainly should have preferred remaining where I
was, to the miserable pain of attempting to move.

_October 16_.--We waited until two in the afternoon for Belanger; but
not seeing any thing of him on the lake, we set out, purposing to encamp
at the Narrows, the place which was said to be so good for fishing, and
where, according to St. Germain's account, the Indians never failed to
catch plenty; its distance at most could not be more than two miles. We
had not proceeded far before Beauparlant began to complain of increasing
weakness; but this was so usual with us that no particular notice was
taken of it, for in fact there was little difference, all being alike
feeble: amo