Our situation at that time, though very
alarming, would not permit us to spend much time in reflection; so we loaded
our sledges to the best advantage (but were obliged to throw away some bags of
shot and ball), and immediately set out on our return. In the course of the
day's walk we were fortunate enough to kill several partridges, for which we
were all very thankful, as it was the first meal we had had for several days:
indeed, for the five preceding days we had not killed as much as amounted to
half a partridge for each man; and some days had not a single mouthful. While
we were in this distress, the Northern Indians were by no means in want; for as
they always walked foremost, they {7} had ten times the chance to kill
partridges, rabbits, or any other thing which was to be met with, than we had.
Beside this advantage, they had great stocks of flour, oatmeal, and other
English provisions, which they had embezzled out of my stock during the early
part of the journey; and as one of my home Indians, called Mackachy, and his
wife, who is a Northern Indian woman, always resorted to the Northern Indians
tents, where they got amply supplied with provisions when neither I nor my men
had a single mouthful, I have great reason to suspect they had a principal hand
in the embezzlement: indeed, both the man and his wife were capable of
committing any crime, however diabolical.
A Journey from Prince of
Wales's Fort in
Hudson's Bay to the
Northern Ocean in the Years 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, by Samuel Hearne
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