CHAPTER 12.
JOURNEY ACROSS THE BARREN GROUNDS.
DIFFICULTY AND DELAY IN CROSSING COPPER-MINE RIVER.
MELANCHOLY AND FATAL RESULTS THEREOF.
EXTREME MISERY OF THE WHOLE PARTY.
MURDER OF MR.

HOOD.
DEATH OF SEVERAL OF THE CANADIANS.
DESOLATE STATE OF FORT ENTERPRISE.
DISTRESS SUFFERED AT THAT PLACE.
DR.

RICHARDSON'S NARRATIVE.
MR.

BACK'S NARRATIVE.
CONCLUSION.
JOURNEY ACROSS THE BARREN GROUNDS.
August 17, 1821.
My original intention, whenever the season should compel us to relinquish the survey, had been to return by the Copper-Mine River and, in pursuance of my arrangement with the Hook, to travel to Slave Lake through the line of woods extending thither by the Great Bear and Marten Lakes, but our scanty stock of provision and the length of the voyage rendered it necessary to make for a nearer place.

We had already found that the country between Cape Barrow and the Copper-Mine River would not supply our wants, and this it seemed probable would now be still the case, besides at this advanced season we expected the frequent recurrence of gales which would cause great detention if not danger in proceeding along that very rocky part of the coast.
I determined therefore to make at once for Arctic Sound where we had found the animals more numerous than at any other place and, entering Hood's River, to advance up that stream as far as it was navigable and then to construct small canoes out of the materials of the larger ones, which could be carried in crossing the barren grounds to Fort Enterprise.
August 19.
We were almost beaten out of our comfortless abodes by rain during the night and this morning the gale continued without diminution.