hem. The chief however was soon informed of it by one of his people
and expressed his desire that no future misfortune should be concealed
from him. We found that he was most concerned to hear that the flag had
been burnt, but we removed his anxiety on that point by the assurance
that it could easily be repaired. We were advised by Mr. Wentzel to
recommence the dancing after this event lest the Indians should imagine,
by our putting a stop to it, that we considered the circumstance as an
unfavourable commencement of our undertaking. We were however deeply
impressed with a grateful sense of the Divine Providence in averting the
threatened destruction of our stores, which would have been fatal to
every prospect of proceeding forward this season.

August 1.

This morning the Indians set out, intending to wait for us at the mouth
of the Yellow-Knife River. We remained behind to pack our stores in bales
of eighty pounds each, an operation which could not be done in the
presence of these Indians as they are in the habit of begging for
everything they see. Our stores consisted of two barrels of gunpowder,
one hundred and forty pounds of ball and small shot, four fowling-pieces,
a few old trading guns, eight pistols, twenty-four Indian daggers, some
packages of knives, chisels, nails, and fastenings for a boat; a few
yards of cloth, some blankets, needles, looking-glasses, and beads,
together with nine fishing-nets, having meshes of different sizes. Our
provision was two casks of flour, two hundred dried reindeer tongues,
some dried moose-meat, portable soup, and arrowroot, sufficient in the
whole for ten days' consumption, besides two cases of chocolate, and two
canisters of tea. We engaged another Canadian voyager at this place and
the Expedition then consisted of twenty-eight persons, including the
officers, and the wives of three of our voyagers, who were brought for
the purpose of making shoes and clothes for the men at the winter
establishment; there were also three children belonging to two of these
women.*

(*Footnote. The following is the list of the officers and men who
composed the Expedition on its departure from Fort Providence:

John Franklin, Lieutenant of the Royal Navy and Commander.
John Richardson, M.D., Surgeon of the Royal Navy.
Mr. George Back, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman.
Mr. Robert Hood, of the Royal Navy, Admiralty Midshipman.
Mr. Frederick Wentzel, Clerk to the North-West Company.
John