Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/424

394 and a temperature of 14° we reached at dusk the friendly shelter of Fort Confidence.

Its solitary inmates rejoiced at our return; and for once we learned, without apprehension, that the £all fisheries were a total failure. I despair of conveying an idea of the scene enacted by the natives during the two following days, which were occupied in settling with them, and packing up our own goods. They hurried in from all quarters; and, as everybody wanted everything, the distribution of our commodities was rather a difficult problem. As for the clamour of young and old, Bedlam itself cannot match the ordeal we underwent. Ritch having already recompensed the Indians for all services rendered during the summer, the supplies we were now enabled to dispense were mostly gratuitous. Our spare guns, kettles, ironwork, dogs, and sledges were given to the most deserving: all were furnished with ammunition for hunting their way to the regular trading-posts on the Mackenzie; our old clothes graced the persons of our young fellow-travellers; and last, not least, the whole assemblage was abundantly fed.

In the afternoon of the 26th this noisy scene was brought to a close, and we took a last leave of Fort Confidence. Larocque and Maccaconce, some of the old men, and the youths who had