purpose of
reducing our expenditure of provision as much as possible. The remainder
of the party, including officers, amounted to twenty persons. I made Mr.
Wentzel acquainted with the probable course of our future proceedings,
and mentioned to him that if we were far distant from this river, when
the season or other circumstances rendered it necessary to put a stop to
our advance, we should, in all probability be unable to return to it,
and should have to travel across the barren grounds towards some
established post: in which case I told him that we should certainly go
first to Fort Enterprise, expecting that he would cause the Indians to
place a supply of dried provision there, as soon as possible after their
arrival in its vicinity. My instructions to him were, that he should
proceed to Point Lake, transport the canoe that was left there to Fort
Enterprise, where he was to embark the instruments and books, and carry
them to Slave Lake, and to forward the box containing the journals, &c.,
with the present despatches, by the next winter packet to England. But
before he quitted Fort Enterprise, he was to be assured of the intention
of the Indians to lay up the provision we required, and if they should
be in want of ammunition for that purpose to procure it if possible from
Fort Providence, or the other forts in Slave Lake, and send it
immediately to them by the hunters who accompanied him thither. I also
requested him to ascertain from Akaitcho and the other leading Indians,
where their different parties would be hunting in the months of
September and October, and to leave this information in a letter at Fort
Enterprise, for our guidance in finding them, as we should require their
assistance. Mr. Wentzel was furnished with a list of the stores that
had been promised to Akaitcho and his party as a remuneration for their
services, as well as with an official request to the North-West Company
that these goods might be paid to them on their next visit to Fort
Providence, which they expected to make in the latter part of November.
I desired him to mention this circumstance to the Indians as an
encouragement to exertion in our behalf, and to promise them an
additional reward for the supply of provision they should collect at
Fort Enterprise.

If Mr. Wentzel met the Hook, or any of his party, he was instructed to
assure them that he was provided with the necessary documents to get
them payment for any meat they should put _en