flesh, the skins, and even the contents of the stomachs
of the deer were equally distributed among the party by Mr. Hood who had
volunteered, on the departure of Mr. Wentzel, to perform the duty of
issuing the provision. This invidious task he had all along performed
with great impartiality, but seldom without producing some grumbling
amongst the Canadians, and on the present occasion the hunters were
displeased that the heads and some other parts had not been added to
their portions. It is proper to remark that Mr. Hood always took the
smallest portion for his own mess, but this weighed little with these men
as long as their own appetites remained unsatisfied. We all suffered much
inconvenience from eating animal food after our long abstinence, but
particularly those men who indulged themselves beyond moderation. The
Canadians, with their usual thoughtlessness, had consumed above a third
of their portions of meat that evening.

We set out early on the 26th and, after walking about three miles along
the lake, came to the river which we at once recognised from its size to
be the Copper-Mine. It flowed to the northward and, after winding about
five miles terminated in Point Lake. Its current was swift, and there
were two rapids in this part of its course which in a canoe we could have
crossed with ease and safety. These rapids, as well as every other part
of the river, were carefully examined in search of a ford but, finding
none, the expedients occurred of attempting to cross on a raft made of
the willows which were growing there, or in a vessel framed with willows
and covered with the canvas of the tents, but both these schemes were
abandoned through the obstinacy of the interpreters and the most
experienced voyagers, who declared that they would prove inadequate to
the conveyance of the party and that much time would be lost in the
attempt. The men in fact did not believe that this was the Copper-Mine
River and, so little confidence had they in our reckoning, and so much
had they bewildered themselves on the march, that some of them asserted
it was Hood's River and others that it was the Bethetessy. (A river which
rises from a lake to the northward of Rum Lake and holds a course to the
sea parallel with that of the Copper-Mine.) In short their despondency
had returned, and they all despaired of seeing Fort Enterprise again.
However the steady assurances of the officers that we were actually on
the banks of the Copper-Mi