e days, until there was an appearance of despatching the first
brigade of canoes. It then became necessary to urge their attention to
them; but it was evident, from the determined commercial opposition,
and the total want of intercourse between the two Companies, that we
could not expect to receive any cordial advice, or the assurance of the
aid of both, without devising some expedient to bring the parties
together. I therefore caused a tent to be pitched at a distance from
both establishments, and solicited the gentlemen of both Companies to
meet Mr. Back and myself there, for the purpose of affording us their
combined assistance.

With this request they immediately complied; and on May 25th we were
joined at the tent by Mr. Stuart and Mr. Grant, of the North-West
Company, and Mr. Colin Robertson, of the Hudson's Bay Company, all of
whom kindly gave very satisfactory answers to a series of questions
which we had drawn up for the occasion, and promised all the aid in
their power.

Furnished with the information thus obtained, we proceeded to make some
arrangements respecting the obtaining of men, and the stores we should
require for their equipment, as well as for presents to the Indians; and
on the following day a requisition was made on the Companies for eight
men each, and whatever useful stores they could supply. We learned with
regret, that, in consequence of the recent lavish expenditure of their
goods in support of the opposition, their supply to us would, of
necessity, be very limited. The men, too, were backward in offering
their services, especially those of the Hudson's Bay Company, who
demanded a much higher rate of wages than I considered it proper to
grant.

_June 3_.--Mr. Smith, a partner of the North-West Company, arrived from
the Great Slave Lake, bearing the welcome news that the principal Chief
of the Copper Indians had received the communication of our arrival with
joy, and given all the intelligence he possessed respecting the route to
the sea-coast by the Copper-Mine River; and that he and a party of his
men, at the instance of Mr. Wentzel, a clerk of the North-West Company,
whom they wished might go along with them, had engaged to accompany the
Expedition as guides and hunters. They were to wait our arrival at Fort
Providence, on the north side of the Slave Lake. Their information
coincided with that given by Beaulieu. They had no doubt of our being
able to obtain the means of subsistence in tr