The first brigade of canoes laden with furs was despatched to the depot on May 30th and the others followed in two or three days afterwards.

Mr.Stuart, the senior partner of the North-West Company, quitted us for the same destination on June 4th; Mr.Robertson for his depot on the next day; and on the 9th we parted with our friend Mr.Keith, to whose unremitting kindness we felt much indebted.

I entrusted to his care a box containing some drawings by Mr.Back, the map of our route from Cumberland House, and the skin of a black beaver (presented to the Expedition by Mr.Smith) with my official letters addressed to the Under-Secretary of State.

I wrote by each of these gentlemen to inform Dr.Richardson and Mr.Hood of the scarcity of stores at these posts and to request them to procure all they possibly could on their route.

Mr.Smith was left in charge of this post during the summer; this gentleman soon evinced his desire to further our progress by directing a new canoe to be built for our use which was commenced immediately.
June 21.
This day an opportunity offered of sending letters to the Great Slave Lake and I profited by it to request Mr.Wentzel would accompany the Expedition agreeably to the desire of the Copper Indians, communicating to him that I had received permission for him to do so from the partners of the North-West Company.