an interpreter, paddled over, carrying the line. He managed to
reach the opposite bank, and with no more than a wetting the rest all
crossed in safety after him.

This was in the beginning of October, and winter was upon them. So
Franklin sent on some of the men with Mr Back to find the Indians near
Fort Enterprise, and the rest followed. But the lichens disagreed with
two men, and though Doctor Richardson went back and endeavoured to cure
them and bring them along, he was obliged to abandon them to die in
their tracks. Things looked so serious that Richardson and Hood
pluckily proposed to remain at the first convenient halting-place with
the weaker brethren, and let Franklin push on to the fort, and send back
help and food. This was agreed to. Franklin went on, but Hepburn, the
English sailor, volunteered to remain with Richardson. This parting
took place on the 7th of October, twenty-four miles from the fort. Of
the eight men who left with Franklin, four were taken ill and returned
to Doctor Richardson, but only one man, the Iroquois Michel, reached the
tent in rear.

On the 11th Franklin, with four men, reached the fort, and found it
completely empty and deserted--no food, no friends, nothing! After a
while a note was found from Mr Back saying he had gone after the
Indians, but he was unsuccessful in finding them. Others were sent
afterwards, and so for eighteen days Franklin lived miserably on the
skins, bones, and remains of the reindeer which had been eaten the
previous winter!

On the 29th of October Richardson and Hepburn came in--walking
skeletons. Where was poor Hood? Where were the others? A tragic tale
had to be told by Doctor Richardson. Here is the account of what
happened.

For two days the party left by Franklin had no food. Michel then
brought a little game. Then another day and no food, and Mr Hood was
very ill. Next day the Iroquois carried home some "wolf-meat," but
Richardson believes it was a part of the body of one of the wanderers
who had been killed by the Iroquois. This man now became very
ill-natured and got worse and worse in his conduct, refusing to supply
his companions with food or to share what he had procured. One day
after being remonstrated with while Doctor Richardson and Hepburn were
absent from the tent, this wretch shot Hood in the back, and Michel was
so evidently the murderer that afterwards, in self-defence, Richardson
shot him unexpectedly as he was com