procure any ammunition, which was
the most essential article, or spirits, and but little tobacco.

We then made a final arrangement respecting the voyagers, who were to
accompany the party; and, fortunately, there was no difficulty in doing
this, as Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood had taken the very judicious
precaution of bringing up ten men from Cumberland, who were engaged to
proceed forward if their services were required. The Canadians, whom
they brought, were most desirous of being continued, and we felt sincere
pleasure in being able to keep men who were so zealous in the cause, and
who had given proofs of their activity on their recent passage to this
place, by discharging those men who were less willing to undertake the
journey; of these, three were Englishmen, one American, and three
Canadians. When the numbers were completed, which we had been
recommended by the traders to take as a protection against the
Esquimaux, we had sixteen Canadian-voyagers, and our worthy and only
English attendant John Hepburn, besides the two interpreters whom we
were to receive at the Great Slave Lake; we were also accompanied by a
Chipewyan woman. An equipment of goods was given to each of the men who
had been engaged at this place, similar to what had been furnished to
the others at Cumberland; and when this distribution had been made, the
remainder were made up into bales, preparatory to our departure, on the
following day. We were cheerfully assisted in these and all our
occupations by Mr. Smith, who evinced an anxious desire to supply our
wants as far as his means permitted.

Mr. Hood having brought up the dipping needle from Cumberland House, we
ascertained the dip to be 85 deg. 23' 42", and the difference produced by
reversing the face of the instrument was 6 deg. 2' 10". The intensity of the
magnetic force was also observed. Several observations had been procured
on both sides of the moon during our residence at Fort Chipewyan, the
result of which gave for its longitude 111 deg. 18' 20" W., its latitude was
observed to be 58 deg. 42' 38" N., and the variation of the compass 22 deg. 49'
32" E. Fresh rates were procured for the chronometers and their errors
determined for Greenwich time, by which the survey to the northward was
carried on.

CHAPTER VI.

Mr. Hood's journey to the Basquiau Hill--Sojourns with an Indian
Party--His Journey to Chipewyan.

1820. March.

Being desirous of obtaining a drawing of