e Athabasca department informed me
that the things I had required from the Company in February last, would
be duly forwarded; they likewise contained a very different version of
the story which had led us to suppose that Captain Parry was passing the
winter on the northern coast. We now learned that the Indians had only
seen some pieces of wood recently cut, and a deer that had been killed
by an arrow; these things we concluded were done by the Esquimaux. Three
men from Slave Lake, whom I had sent for to supply the place of our
Chipewyan hunters, who were very inactive last winter, joined us at this
place. They were to accompany Mr. Dease and the Canadians to Fort
Franklin; and that they, as well as the Indians, might have every
encouragement to exert themselves in procuring provisions during the
summer, I directed a supply of the goods they were likely to require, to
be sent from Fort Simpson, as soon as possible. The longitude of Fort
Norman was observed to be 124 degrees 44 minutes 47 seconds W., its
latitude 64 degrees 40 minutes 38 seconds N.; variation 39 degrees 57
minutes 52 seconds E.

[Sidenote: Wednesday, 28th.] Early this morning the boats were laden and
decorated with their ensigns and pendants, and after breakfast we
quitted the fort, amidst the hearty cheers of our friends Mr. Dease, Mr.
Brisbois, and the Canadians, and I am sure carried their best wishes for
our success. We halted at noon to obtain the latitude, which placed the
entrance of Bear Lake River in 64 degrees 55 minutes 37 seconds N.; and
Dr. Richardson took advantage of this delay to visit the mountain at
that point, but his stay was short, in consequence of a favourable
breeze springing up. We perceived that the four boats sailed at nearly
an equal rate in light breezes, but that in strong winds the two larger
ones had the advantage. When we landed to sup the musquitoes beset us so
furiously that we hastily despatched the meal and re-embarked, to drive
under easy sail before the current. They continued, however, to pursue
us, and deprived us of all rest. On our arrival, next morning, at the
place of the first rapids, there was scarcely any appearance of broken
water, and the sand-bank on which Augustus had been so perilously
situated in the preceding autumn, was entirely covered. This was, of
course, to be ascribed to the spring floods; the increase of water to
produce such a change, must have exceeded six feet. In the afternoon we
were over