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 intrusted 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.

Should he be disposed to comply with my invitation, I desired that he would go over to Fort Providence, and remain near the Indians whom he had engaged for our service.

I feared lest they should become impatient at our unexpected delay, and, with the usual fickleness of the Indian character, remove from the establishment before we could arrive.