ad seen nothing of the
absentees, and it was therefore evident that they had gone on to Haldane
River, whither I resolved to proceed in search of them; but that they
might not suffer from want of food, if by any chance we missed them, I
directed Beaulieu's party to remain where they were, until I sent them
permission to depart by two Canadians, whom I took with me on purpose in
a small canoe. Mr. Dease had directed Beaulieu to go to M'Tavish Bay to
hunt deer, and dry meat for the fort, as soon as we arrived; and as the
boat was well adapted for carrying dried provision, I now exchanged it
with his north canoe.

[Sidenote: Sunday, 27th.] We rejoined Mr. Kendall at Limestone Point at
day-break on the morning of the 27th, and afterwards paddled along the
coast until two P.M., when a strong head-wind obliged us to put ashore.
As soon as we landed, I set out with the Babillard for Haldane River,
carrying a small quantity of pemmican, lest the people should be in want
of food; and after a walk, or rather a run, of five miles, I had the
happiness of finding them all well, and with plenty of provisions, as
they had killed six deer. Their Indian guide had taken them a little
inland, by which they had missed Limestone Point; but they were very
sorry it had so happened, when they learned the anxiety they had
occasioned to Mr. Kendall and myself, by their not erecting the mark
there as they had been directed to do. The wind moderating after sunset,
Mr. Kendall joined us with the two canoes, so that the party was again
happily reunited. [Sidenote: Monday, 28th.] On Monday the 28th, I sent
back the small canoe with the Babillard and two Canadians, to join
Beaulieu, and proceed with the rest of the party in the larger canoe to
Fort Franklin, where we arrived on Friday, the 1st of September, and
received a warm welcome from Mr. Dease, after an absence of seventy-one
days, during which period we had travelled by land and water one
thousand seven hundred and nine geographical, or nineteen hundred and
eighty statute miles.

Having now brought the Narrative of the proceedings of the Eastern
Detachment to a conclusion, the pleasing duty remains of expressing my
gratitude to the party for their cheerful and obedient conduct. Not a
murmur of discontent was heard throughout the voyage, but every
individual engaged with alacrity in the laborious tasks he was called
upon to perform. Where all behaved with the greatest zeal, it would be
invidio