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 each portage four times, with a load of 180 pounds, and return three times light, they walked in the whole upwards of 150 miles. We cannot, therefore, be surprised, that these men, who had been accustomed to live, when at the trading Companies’ forts, entirely on animal food, the daily allowance of which is eight pounds per man, should be disheartened, and exhibit symptoms of insubordination, when they found themselves reduced to one scanty meal a day. Lieutenant Franklin’s narrative informs us, that for some days they murmured at their meagre diet, strove to get the whole stock of provision to consume at once, and at length, on the 11th of August, broke out into open discontent, threatening that they would not proceed unless more food was given to them.

On the morning of the 25th August, Lieutenant Franklin was surprised by some early symptoms of the approach of winter; the small pools were frozen over, and a flock of geese passed to the southward. Up to this period, he had cherished the hope of fixing his winter-quarters at the mouth of the Copper-mine River; but Akaitcho now declared, that the very attempt would be rush and dangerous, as the weather was cold, the leaves were falling, and the winter would shortly set in; and that, as he considered the lives of