1M17_B23-A-1

out hunting, returned to our tent in the Evening without having killed any thing more than two Squirrels, William Thomas at work with the Sledge; the Indians and Englishmen not yet returned.

Tuesday Wind and weather as Yesterday, out a hunting as usual, and returned in the Evening still at handed with our usual ill success; This Day got our Sledge finished.

20th Wedensday Almost Calm, a soft thawery Day; all Hands out a hunting but nothing to be got in the Woods neither any fish to be taken either by our Nets or Hooks, the Indians and Englishmen yet unreturned.

21st Thursday fore part quite Calm with Rain the greatest part of the Day; kept our tent all Day; towards Evening a Gale from the NE Quarter froze very keenly in the Night and blew excessive hard.

22d Friday Wind in the Sw Quarter with clear frosty wether; much Ice in the River; all hands out a hunting killed one Wood Partridge; the Indians and Englishmen yet unreturned.

23d Saturday sharp frosty weather, wind as yesterday, out a hunting all Day as usual, at 1 oClock at Night Mitchel Brown returned greatly fatigued with his Journey, he informs me that he left the Indians two Night ago, they had then killed 11 Beaver, he infoms me likewise that the Deers tracks are exceeding numerous and that he left them in pursuit of two he informs me too that about 2 Miles below us the River is quite froze up, which gives me hopes of soon being able to remove from this sorry scarce place indeed.

24th Sunday almost Calm, sharp frosty weather this Morning Wm Wood returned to the tent fatigued and very thin, all hands out hunting excepting him and Mitchel, killed one Rabbit; took 6 knots of Beaver twine to make to Beaver Nets of Mitch'l Brown having found a Beaver House which we intend trying to take as soon as he has sufficiently recovered from of all he got up on the Ice; which greatly hurt his Shoulder; and gave him exquisite Pain for some time, gave 2 Quarts of Brandy to the People

25th Monday almost Calm, a great Quantity of Snow fallen last Night and continues snowing all this Day which occasioned us to keep our tent; the water in the River considerably encreased within this two or three Days byypast, but cannot Guess what can be the occasion of it.

26th Tuesday fore part of the Day fine clear weather, latter part wind in the SE Quarter with Snow, all hands out building Martin traps as we had observed the tracks of some in the Snow, brought home in the Evening one [Puskee]; the Indians not yet returned; opened our last Cask of Geese

27th. Wedensday wind in the SW Quarter with snow great part of the Day. Sharp frost all hands kept the tent, Mitchel Brown and Geo. Donald each a trapping Hatchet both being without, the water in the River still continuing to rise, put some Hooks down.

28th. Thursday a fresh of wind from the SW Quarter with a little Snow, all hands out overhauling our traps, returned to the tent this evening with two Partridges, very few Martin Tracks to be seen, no fish to be got by our hooks; saw a good many Rabbit tracks, took a Skain of twine for snares.

29th. Friday almost Calm, much Rain in the Night weather quite warm, out looking at our traps and snares; brought to the tent 5 Rabbits, the River much opener than Yesterday and much more water in it; the Indians this Evening returned to their tent, traded the flesh of one Beavr. with each of them

30th. Saturday fore part Calm warm weather, latter part a fresh breeze from the NE Quarter with frost and snow, traded the flesh of two more Beavr. with Abicootch, and as he and Chickiyou talk of returning to the Factory tomorrow, wrote to Mr. Kitchen as (??) Book of Correspondence, all Hands in the tent all Day.

Decemr. 1st. Sunday wind in the SW Quarter with fine clear weather; received from Abicootch 9 whole Beavr. in Beav Skins, and from Chickiyou 8 Do. in part of payment of their Debts at the Factory, traded likewise one Hatchet with Chickiyou for one whole Beaver Skin after which they left us in order to return to the Factory Oricot one of the Indians still continuing with us; all hands out hunting brought home in the Evening 5 Rabbits, and took 1 Fish from our Hooks.

2nd. Monday wind and weather as yesterday with sharp frost, Mitchel Brown, Wm. Thomas, Wm. Wood and Oricot set out early this morning in order to take the Beavers House found by Mitchel; Geo. Donald and self out overhauling our Rabbit Snares brought home in the Evening 4 Rabbits; the Ice not yet sufficiently strong for us to venture hauling our Sledge upon.

3rd. Tuesday wind and weather as yesterday, self and Geo. Donald out hunting, in the Evening returned to our tent with one Rabbit; about 7 oClock the people returned unsuccessful; Oricot informing them that they could not be taken, they killed 4 Pheasants the first we have seen since our leaving the Factory

4th. Wedensday. fine clear weather, fore part of the Day wind in the SW Quarter, latter part in the NE, employed this Day in packing up, and fastening our Things upon the Sledge ready for hauling, purposing to set forward in the Morning, as the Ice appears to be sufficiently strong to admit of it; likewise knocked down our Martin Traps, and took up our Rabbit Snares, from which we got 3 Rabbits

5th. Thursday. set out a 11oClock this Morning with the Sledge, wind in the SW Quarter, very dull weather, the River open in many Places where the Current was strong; tolerable good hauling; past one small Island put up in the Evening on the North Shore our Days Journey computed at 12 miles; small Woods on both Sides the River, Banks high and Steep.

6th. Friday. Oricot having found a Beaver House the proceeding Night, and our Victuals growing very low, we went this Morning along with him to assist in taking it, and spent all the Day in a fruitless attempt to do it, but found another House, which notwithstanding our disappointment to Day, we intend looking after tomorrow; Snow all Day, fore part of it wind in the SW. latter part in the NW Quarter with sharp Frost; one Quart of Brandy amongst us yesterday and to Day.

7th. Saturday. went after the other beaver's House as we intended yesterday; as we had a great Distance to go before we reached it, great part of the Day was spent in going and returning, and to our no small Mortification we found it to be no other than one that had been taken the proceeding Winter, the rest of the Day employed in unloading and cleansing our Sledge from the Snow, in order to set off as early in the Morning as possible; Snow fore part of the Day with sharp Frost, wind Northerly; one out of four two Anchors of Flour expended this Day.

8th. Sunday. this Morning left our tent at 9oClock clear frosty weather, wind in the SW Quarter, after hauling about an hour the Ice give way under us when the Sledge fell into a very deep part of the River, the Current likewise very strong, where we had the misfortune of loosing entirely the following Articles: 12 Skains course Twine 10 Do. midling Do. 12 Do. Fine Do. 1 Roll English Tobacco 3 Ice Chissels 2 Hatchets 12 large Cod Hooks 12 midling Do. 12 Trout Do. 12 lbs Ball 1 Adze 1 Falling Ax 2 Spike Gimblets 1 Pin Maul 2 Augurs 1 Saw set Oaker & Scythe Stones 1 Bricklayers trowel 1 Handplane Grindstone & furniture Box to the Pit Saw

every other Article was saved with the greatest difficulty and danger, as almost every thing our Bedding, Provisions etc were swimming in the Water, we were fortunate enough to get all our Guns, Shot and the remaining Carpenters tools out of the Water by means of a Hook tied to the End of a long Pole the water being then between 7 and 8 Feet Deep; if the Accident had befallen was near the middle of the River as we happened to be to the Shore, in all probability we should have lost everything, our Lives not excepted: after making a fire to dry ourselves by, we carried of the Goods

what we was able about a mile higher up the River where we put up; there being bad Woods where the misfortune befell us.

9th. Monday sharp frosty weather, so severe we were almost freezing in our Tent in the Night Season(??), wind SW; myself and Wm. Wood walked a considerable way up the River in order to see what Condition it was in before we (???) proceed further; found it open in many places and others lately set fast and far from being strong enough to haul over; the rest of the People in the mean time, employed in getting up the rest of the Goods, and in endeavouring to get more out of the Water, but all their endeavours to that purpose were ineffectual.

10th. Tuesday wind in the SW Quarter with exceeding sharp weather, all of us employed in drying our bedding, such as Blankets and every other Necessary and Article that had been damaged by the Water, the fore part of the Day; the latter in cleaning our Sledge from the Snow, and making ready for hauling again tomorrow; about 3 oClock in the afternoon Maucocu and Nanap arrived here (two Indians from the Factory) from whom I received Mr. Kitchens favour dated 24th October and in it the agreeable News of a fresh supply of Provisions, which Maucocu informs me he has left about 3 Days Journey down the River from Wapuscogamee Creek, and which I intend sending down for as soon as we reach that place, where in all probability I shall fix, as by the Indians Information there are no Woods higher up fit for building with, they, likewise inform me that we are now one Days Journey from this Creek, and that it is one good Days walk further between the Creek, and the great Fall Mr. Thomas mentioned

11th. Wedensday at 9oClock this morning set forward again with our Sledge, Maucocu and Nannap assisting us, wind SW with sharp frost, the River open in many places, the Rivers Banks covered with burnt Woods chief part of this Days Journey at ½ past 3 oClock reached Wapuscogamee, a Creek on the North Shore, Maucocu again informs me we are no more than one Days Journey from the great Fall, in Snow Shoes, and that the Woods are very small and thin higher up.

12th. Thursday Myself and Mitchel Brown walked a considerable way higher up the River in order to look out a proper place for building in, and accordingly pitched upon a place about ¾ of a Mile above the Mouth of the Creek, and intend hauling our things thither tomorrow; wind in the NW Quarter with clear frosty weather.

13th. Friday set out this morning with our Sledge for the above mentioned place, employed after our

arrival there in falling Wood for builing a log tent of clear sharp weather, wind westerly.

14th Saturday. all hands employed in building our tent; wind in the SW quarter with sharp frosty weather, the tracks of nothing to be seen any where near us excepting [].

15th Sunday. all hands in the tent except Wm Wood who went out with his gun, he returned in the evening without any thing, he saw two deer at which he fired, but unluckily missed them no tracks of any thing else to be seen; redeived from Maucocu six, and from Nannap four whole Beaver Skins, being part of their debt to Mr. Kitchener wind and weather as yesterday, a great quantity of snow fallen last night.

16th Monday. in the the SW quarter, the people employed at the tent, myself out hunting, returned to the tent in the evening with 5 white partridges very sharp frost weather; this morning Maucocu and Nannap left and wnt in land to look after deer and beaver, they promised to return to us in 11 days if they met with []

17th Tuesday. all hads still employed at the tent wind in the SW quarter with sharp frosty weather no tracks of any thing to be seen, about noon Oricot reutned to us after being 8 days absent, I recieved from him 10 rabbits and 8 3/4 whole beaver skins in whole an half beaver.

18th Wednesday. not being able to prevail with Oricot to accompany the people who I intend sending down for th Provisions left by maucocu, Mitchel Brown, Wm Thomas, & Wm Wood are this day preparing themselves to set out tomorrow; wind & weather as yesterday

19th Thursday. early this morning dispatched Mitchel Brown, Wm Thomas & Wm Wood for the provisions before mentioned; myself and George Donald employed in completing our tent, which is yet unfinished, wind and weather as yesterday.

20th Friday. wind & weather as yesterday, George Donald employed at the tent, senf out setting rabbit snares and setting Martins traps a very few rabbits tracks to be seen.

21st Saturday. wind and weather as yesterday, self out hunting, retunred in the evening with one rabbit; George Donald at the tent all day.

22nd Sunday. wind from the Northward with very sharp weather, self out hunting all day, George at the tent.

23 Moonday. wind in the SW quarter with very sharp weather, self out hunting all day, returned