ought in the carcasses of seven reindeer which two
hunters had shot yesterday and the women commenced drying the meat for
our journey. We also obtained a good supply of fish from our nets today.

A heavy rain on the 23rd prevented the men from working either at the
building or going for meat; but on the next day the weather was fine and
they renewed their labours. The thermometer that day did not rise higher
than 42 degrees and it fell to 31 degrees before midnight. On the morning
of the 25th we were surprised by some early symptoms of the approach of
winter; the small pools were frozen over and a flock of geese passed to
the southward. In the afternoon however a fog came on which afterwards
changed into rain and the ice quickly disappeared. We suffered great
anxiety all the next day respecting John Hepburn who had gone to hunt
before sunrise on the 25th and had been absent ever since. About four
hours after his departure the wind changed and a dense fog obscured every
mark by which his course to the tents could be directed, and we thought
it probable he had been wandering in an opposite direction to our
situation as the two hunters who had been sent to look for him returned
at sunset without having seen him. Akaitcho arrived with his party and we
were greatly disappointed at finding they had stored up only fifteen
reindeer for us. St. Germain informed us that, having heard of the death
of the chief's brother-in-law, they had spent several days in bewailing
his loss instead of hunting. We learned also that the decease of this man
had caused another party of the tribe, who had been sent by Mr. Wentzel
to prepare provision for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine River, to
remove to the shores of the Great Bear Lake, distant from our proposed
route. Mortifying as these circumstances were they produced less painful
sensations than we experienced in the evening by the refusal of Akaitcho
to accompany us in the proposed descent of the Copper-Mine River. When
Mr. Wentzel, by my direction, communicated to him my intention of
proceeding at once on that service he desired a conference with me upon
the subject which, being immediately granted, he began by stating that
the very attempt would be rash and dangerous as the weather was cold, the
leaves were falling, some geese had passed to the southward, and the
winter would shortly set in and that, as he considered the lives of all
who went on such a journey would be forfeited, he neith