we attributed their negligence to the
indolence and apathy which mark the character of this tribe.

I need not dilate upon the anxieties which we felt at the prospect of
commencing the winter with such a scanty supply of food. We at once
sent off five men, provided with nets and lines, to the fishery in
M'Vicar's Bay, which had been so productive in the preceding year, in
the hope that, besides gaining their own subsistence, they might store
up some fish for us, which could be brought to the Fort when the lake
was frozen. Our anxiety was, in some measure, relieved on the 28th of
September, by the arrival of Beaulieu and some hunters, from the north
side of Bear Lake, with a supply of dried meat. The term of Beaulieu's
engagement being now expired, he was desirous of quitting our service;
and though he was our best hunter, Mr. Dease advised me to comply with
his request, as he had collected a number of useless followers, whom we
must have fed during the short days. He accordingly took his departure,
accompanied by seventeen persons, which was a very important relief to
our daily issue of provision. I furnished them with ammunition from the
store to enable them to hunt on their way to Marten Lake, where they
intended to fish until the return of spring.

[Sidenote: October.] Calculating that the stores, which had been ordered
from York Factory, must have arrived at Fort Norman, I despatched Mr.
Kendall for them; and he returned on the 8th of October, with as much of
them as his canoe would carry. The men were immediately furnished with
warm clothing, of which the eastern party were in great need, having
left every thing on quitting the sea-coast, except one suit each. We
were rejoiced at the receipt of a large packet of letters from England,
dated in the preceding February. They brought out the gratifying
intelligence that my friend Lieutenant Back had been promoted, in
December, 1825, to the rank of Commander. I likewise received a large
packet of news papers from his Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie,
Governor-in-Chief of Canada, to whom I take this opportunity of
returning my best thanks for the warm interest he took in the welfare of
the Expedition.

I shall now briefly trace the advance of winter: the nights were frosty
and the weather was unsettled and gloomy, from the time of our arrival
to the close of September. Heavy rain fell on the 2nd of October, which
on the following day was succeeded by hard frost and much