to persuade them to go southward to the woods, where he said he could maintain himself all the winter by killing deer. "In consequence of this behavior, and the expression of his countenance, I requested him (says Richardson) to leave us, and to go to the southward by himself. This proposal increased his ill-nature; he threw out some obscure hints of freeing himself from all restraint on the morrow; and I overheard him muttering threats against Hepburn, whom he openly accused of having told stories against him. He also, for the first time, assumed such a tone of superiority in addressing me, as evinced that he considered us to be completely in his power; and he gave vent to several expressions of hatred toward the white people, some of whom, he said, had killed and eaten his uncle and two of his relations. In short, taking every circumstance of his conduct into consideration, I came to the conclusion that he would attempt to destroy us on the first opportunity that offered, and that he had hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of his way to the Fort, but that he would never suffer us to go thither in company with him. Hepburn and I were not in a condition to resist even an open attack, nor could we by any device escape from him- our united strength was far inferior to his; and, beside his gun, he was armed with two pistols, an Indian bayonet, and a knife.

"In the afternoon, coming to a rock on which there was some tripe de roche, he halted, and said he would gather it while we went on, and that he would soon overtake us.

Hepburn and I were now left together for the first time since Mr. Hood's death, and he acquainted me with several material circumstances, which he had observed of Michel's behavior, and which confirmed me in the opinion that there was no safety for us except in his death, and he offered to be the instrument of it. I determined, however, as I was thoroughly convinced of the necessity of such a dreadful act, to take the whole responsibility upon myself; and immediately upon Mi

chel's coming up, I put an end to his life by shooting him through the head with a pistol. Had my own life alone been threatened," observes Richardson, in conclusion, "I would not have purchased it by such a measure, but I considered myself as intrusted also with the protection of Hepburn's, a man who, by his humane attentions and devotedness, had so endeared himself to me, that I felt more anxiety for his safety than for my own.

"Michel had gathered no tripe de roche, and it was evident to us that he had halted for the purpose of putting his gun in order with the intention of attacking us perhaps while we were in the act of encamping.

Persevering onward in their journey as well as the snow storms and their feeble limbs would permit, they saw several herds of deer; but Hepburn, who used to be a good marksman, was now unable to hold the gun straight. Following the track of a wolverine which had been dragging something, he however found the spine of a deer which it had dropped. It was clean picked, and at least one season old, but they extracted the spinal marrow from it.

A species of cornicularia, a kind of lichen, was also met with, that was found good to eat when moistened and toasted over the fire. They had still some pieces of singed buffalo hide remaining, and Hepburn, on one occasion, killed a partridge, after firing several times at a flock. About dusk of the 29th they reached the Fort.

"Upon entering the desolate dwelling, we had the satisfaction of embracing Capt. Franklin, but no words can convey an idea of the filth and wretchedness that met our eyes on looking around. Our own misery had stolen upon us by degrees, and we were accustomed to the contemplation of each other's emaciated figures; but the ghastly countenances, dilated eye-balls, and sepulchral voices of Captain Franklin and those with him were more than we could at first bear."

Thus ends the narrative of Richardson's journey. To resume the detail of proceedings at the Fort. On the 1st of November two of the Canadians, Peltier and Samandre, died from sheer exhaustion.

On the 7th of November they were relieved from their privations and sufferings by the arrival of three Indians, bringing a supply of dried meat, some fat, and a few tongues, which had been sent off by Back with all haste from Akaitcho's encampment on the 5th. These Indians nursed and attended them with the greatest care, cleansed the house, collected fire-wood, and studied every means for their general comfort. Their sufferings were now at an end. On the 26th of November they arrived at the encampment of the Indian chief, Akaitcho. On the 6th of December Belanger and another Canadian arrived, bringing further supplies, and letters from England, from Mr. Back, and their former companion, Mr. Wentzel.

The dispatches from England announced the successful termination of Captain Parry's voyage, and the promotion of Captain Franklin, Mr. Back, and of poor Mr. Hood.

On the 18th they reached the Hudson's Bay Company's establishment at Moose Deer Island, where they joined their friend Mr. Back. They remained at Fort Chipewyan until June of the following year.

It is now necessary to relate the story of Mr. Back's journey, which, like the rest, is a sad tale of suffering and privation.

Having been directed, on the 4th of October, 1821, to proceed with St. Germain, Belanger, and Beauparlant to Fort Enterprise, in the hopes of obtaining relief for the party, he set out. Up to the 7th they met with a little tripe de roche, but this failing them they were compelled to satisfy, or rather allay, the cravings of hunger, by eating a gun-cover and a pair of old shoes. The grievous disappointment experienced on arriving at the house, and finding it a deserted ruin, cannot be told.

"Without the assistance of the Indians, bereft of every resource, we felt ourselves," says Mr. Back, "reduced to the most miserable state, which was rendered still worse from the recollection that our friends in the rear were as miserable as ourselves. For the moment,

however, hunger prevailed, and each began to gnaw the scraps of putrid and frozen meat and skin that were lying about, without waiting to prepare them." A fire was, however, afterward made, and the neck and bones. of a deer found in the house were boiled and devoured. After resting a day at the house, Mr. Back pushed on with his companions in search of the Indians, leaving a note for Captain Franklin, informing him if he failed in meeting with the Indians, he intended to push on for the first trading establishment-distant about 130 miles and send us succor from thence. On the 11th he set out on the journey, a few old skins having been first collected to serve as food.

On the 13th and 14th of October they had nothing whatever to eat. Belanger was sent off with a note to Franklin. On the 15th they were fortunate enough to fall in with a partridge, the bones of which were eaten, and the remainder reserved for bait to fish with. Enough tripe de roche was, however, gathered to make a meal. Beauparlant now lingered behind, worn out by extreme weakness. On the 17th a number of crows, perched on some high pines, led them to believe that some carrion was near; and on searching, several heads of deer, half buried in the snow and ice, without eyes or tongues, were found. An expression of "Oh, merciful God, we are saved," broke from them both and with feelings more easily imagined than described, they shook hands, not knowing what to say for joy.

St. Germain was sent back, to bring up Beauparlant, for whose safety Back became very anxious, but he found the poor fellow frozen to death.

The night of the 17th was cold and clear, but they could get no sleep. "From the pains of having eaten, we suffered (observes Back) the most excruciating torments, though I in particular did not eat a quarter of what would have satisfied me; it might have been from having eaten a quantity of raw or frozen sinews of the legs of deer, which neither of us could avoid doing, só great was our hunger."

On the following day Belanger returned famishing

with hunger, and told of the pitiable state of Franklin and his reduced party. Back, both this day and the next, tried to urge on his companions toward the object of their journey, but he could not conquer their stubborn determinations. They said they were unable to proceed from weakness; knew not the way; that Back wanted to expose them again to death, and in fact loitered greedily about the remnants of the deer till the end of the month. "It was not without the greatest difficulty that I could restrain the men from eating every scrap they found; though they were well aware of the necessity there was of being economical in our present situation, and to save whatever they could for our journey, yet they could not resist the temptation; and whenever my back was turned they seldom failed to snatch at the nearest piece to them, whether cooked or raw. Having collected with great care, and by selfdenial, two small packets of dried meat or sinews sufficient (for men who knew what it was to fast) to last for eight days, at the rate of one indifferent meal per day, they set out on the 30th. On the 3d of November they came on the track of Indians, and soon reached the tents of Akaitcho and his followers, when food was obtained, and assistance sent off to Franklin.

In July they reached York Factory, from whence they had started three years before, and thus terminated a journey of 5550 miles, during which human courage and patience were exposed to trials such as few can bear with fortitude, unless, as is seen in Franklin's interesting narrative, arising out of reliance on the eversustaining care of an Almighty Providence.

PARRY'S FIRST VOYAGE, 1819-1820.

THE Admiralty having determined to continue the progress of discovery in the Arctic seas, Lieut. W. E. Parry, who had been second in command under Capt. Ross, in the voyage of the previous year, was selected to take charge of a new expedition, consisting of the Hecla and Griper. The chief object of this voyage was to pursue the survey of Lancaster Sound, and decide