out inconvenience as he generally spends
the summer months on the banks of the river near the Copper Mountain; but
we had no goods to spare and I could not venture to send any part of our
small stock of ammunition until I saw what the necessities of our own
party required. I told them however that I would gladly receive either
provisions or leather when we met and would pay for them by notes on the
North-West Company's post; but to prevent any misunderstanding with Mr.
Weeks I requested them to take their winter's collection of furs to Fort
Providence before they went to the Copper-Mine River. They assured me
that the Hook would watch anxiously for our passing as he was unwell and
wished to consult the doctor.

Several circumstances having come lately to my knowledge that led me to
suspect the fidelity of our interpreters they were examined upon this
subject. It appeared that in their intercourse with the Indians they had
contracted very fearful ideas of the danger of our enterprise which
augmented as the time of our departure drew near, and had not hesitated
to express their dislike to the journey in strong terms amongst the
Canadians, who are accustomed to pay much deference to the opinions of an
interpreter. But this was not all; I had reason to suspect they had
endeavoured to damp the exertions of the Indians with the hope that the
want of provision in the spring would put an end to our progress at once.
St. Germain in particular had behaved in a very equivocal way since his
journey to Slave Lake. He denied the principal parts of the charge in a
very dogged manner but acknowledged he had told the leader that we had
not paid him the attention which a chief like him ought to have received;
and that we had put a great affront on him in sending him only a small
quantity of rum. An artful man like St. Germain, possessing a flow of
language and capable of saying even what he confessed, had the means of
poisoning the minds of the Indians without committing himself by any
direct assertion; and it is to be remarked that, unless Mr. Wentzel had
possessed a knowledge of the Copper Indian language, we should not have
learned what we did.

Although perfectly convinced of his baseness I could not dispense with
his services; and had no other resource but to give him a serious
admonition and desire him to return to his duty, after endeavouring to
work upon his fears by an assurance that I would certainly convey him to
England for