John Richardson’s journal for 6-29 October 1821
[Enclosed in a report from John Franklin to Lord Bathurst, 19 December 1821.
National Archives of the United Kingdom, CO 6/15, f. 72-76; available at Library and Archives Canada on microfilm reel B-3004. Transcribed by Janice Cavell.]
Saturday October 6th 1821 Very cold weather. Left the encampment about nine A.M. and pursued our journey over a range of bleak hills. The drift rendered it difficult for those in the rear to find the track over the heights but the depth of the snow in the vallies was upwards of two feet and walking there proportionably bad. Those in advance made as usual occasional halts, yet being unable from the severity of the weather to remain long inactive, they were obliged to move on before the rear could come up and the party of course straggled very much. Towards noon I was informed that Credit and Vaillant could advance no further and having communicated this intelligence to Mr Franklin, he proposed to halt at the first convenient spot and light a fire, whilst I went back to visit them. I found Vaillant about a mile and a half in the rear, much exhausted with cold and fatigue. Having encouraged him to advance to the fire, after repeated solicitations he made the attempt but fell down amongst the deep snow at every step. Leaving him in this situation I went about half a mile further back to where Credit was said to have halted but did not see him and the track being nearly obliterated by the snow drift it became unsafe for me to go on. On my return I repassed Vaillant who had moved only a few yards in my absence, had fallen down [and] was unable to rise and scarcely capable of replying in a connected manner to my questions. Being unable to afford him any effectual assistance I hastened on to the party whom I found assembled around a small fire and having related poor Vaillants condition Bellanger went back to aid him and bring up his burthen. As for Credit, Semandrè who saw him last said he left him but a short distance behind Vaillant and that he intended to return to the encampment we left in the morning. When Bellanger returned with Vaillants load he informed us that he found him lying on his back, benumbed with cold and incapable of being roused. The stoutest men of the party were now earnestly solicited to bring him to the fire but they declared themselves unequal to the task and on the contrary fearing the further decay of their own strength they urged Mr Franklin to allow them to throw down their loads and to proceed to Fort Enterprise with their utmost speed. Mr Hood (who was very feeble) and I now proposed to remain behind with a single attendant, at the first place where there was a sufficient quantity of wood for ten days consumption and that the greatest part of the ammunition should be left with us. This would contribute to the safety of the rest of the party by relieving the men from the burthen of our blankets, a tent and several other articles and we might afford some aid to Credit should he follow the track of the party. Mr Franklin was to lead the party to the house and to send immediate relief to us, and it was hoped that the ammunition which was deposited in our tent would be a strong inducement for the Indians to comply with his request and venture across the barren lands. Mr Franklin’s baggage consisting only of a single blanket and the Officers’ journals most of the men would have no more to carry than their own cloathing. This arrangement being made known to the party, a fire left burning and a blanket and some other necessaries left in the track for Vaillant should he unexpectedly recover so far as to come up, we moved on and after marching upwards of two miles without finding a favourable place for encamping, night compelled us to take shelter under the lee of a hill, amongst a few willows with which after repeated attempts we succeeded in making a fire. It was not sufficient however to warm the whole party much less to thaw our shoes and no tripe de roche being gathered to day we had nothing to cook. Course by compass SbW. Distance 5½ miles.
Sunday October 7th 1821. Left the encampment about half past nine A.M. and a little before noon came to a pretty extensive thicket of small willows. Here Mr Hood, John Hepburn and myself determined to remain and our tent being pitched and Mr Franklin having read prayers he took a very affectionate leave of us. No tripe de roche to day. Drank some of the country tea, an infusion of the Ledum palustre.
Monday October 8th 1821 Strong and extremely cold winds. Being unable to make a fire we kept our beds all day.
Tuesday October 9th 1821 A Fine but cold morning. I visited the different hills in the neighbourhood in quest of Tripe de roche this morning but had no success. It grows here very sparingly and it was too much frozen and the weather too cold to admit of my collecting it. On my return to the tent I found that Michel the Iroquois had arrived with a note from Mr Franklin. It stated that Michel and Bellanger being unable to proceed were about to return to us and that a mile farther on there was a clump of pines to which he recommended our removing the tent. Michel informed us that he quitted Mr Franklin’s party yesterday morning but having missed his way that he had passed the night on the snow a mile or two to the northward of us. As Bellanger left the fire some hours earlier than Michel he has also gone astray. Michel having brought with him a hare and a partridge which he killed this morning we were enabled to break our long fast.
Wednesday October 10th 1821. Hepburn, Michel and myself carried the ammunition and some other articles to the pines. Hepburn and I returned to the tent but Michel preferred remaining at the pines. Mr Hood kept in bed all day. Extremely cold. Nothing to eat.
Thursday October 11th 1821. Set out for the pines with the remainder of the baggage. Mr Hood accompanied us and with much difficulty walked thither. Michel who had been told to come to us in the morning and carry the tent not being here, Hepburn went back for it and returned in the evening much fatigued. Michel also arrived at sun set and relieved us from much anxiety for we were apprehensive that in coming to us in the morning he had lost his way. He reported that he had been in chace of some deer which passed near his sleeping place in the morning and although he did not come up with them yet that he had found a wolf that had been killed by the stroke of a deers horn. He brought part of it and we made a plentiful meal. It being too late to pitch the tent we passed the night in the open air.
Friday October 12th 1821 Michel brought in more wolf to day. Pitched the tent. Michel prefers sleeping by the fire side.
Saturday October 13th 1821 Heavy gale of wind. Passed this day at the fire side. A small piece of meat which was left afforded us a scanty meal.
Sunday October 14th 1821 The gale abating at 2 p.m. Michel went off to hunt but unexpectedly returned in a short time with more wolf. Find that he conceals meat and eats it after we are gone to bed.
Monday October 15th 1821 Michel expresses his regret that he stayed behind Mr Franklin’s party and declares openly that he would leave us if he knew the way to the house. He is by far the strongest of the party yet he refuses to assist in cutting wood. He set off to hunt about noon and returned in the evening bringing a small piece of meat which he had hid near the tent. Hepburn gathered a kettleful of Tripe de roche but froze his fingers.
Tuesday October 16th 1821 Michel quite disheartened by want of success in hunting and despairing of any relief coming to us refuses to go out any more, neither will he assist Hepburn and myself in cutting wood but threatens to leave us. He frequently says that he could find his way by keeping towards the setting sun, the course pursued by Mr Franklin. Under these circumstances Mr Hood and I deem it better to promise that if he would hunt diligently until Saturday the 20th that then we would give Hepburn a compass, inform him what course to follow and let them proceed together to the Fort. The non-arrival of the Indians to our relief leads us now to fear that some accident has happened to Mr Franklin and we have no confidence in the Canadians with him, but on Hepburn’s returning to us if possible we fully rely. Gathered some Tripe de roche to day.
Wednesday October 17th 1821 Michel complaining much of the want of bed clothes I went to day to conduct him to the spot where Vaillant’s blanket was left, Mr Franklin having given him permission to take it. After walking about three miles he undertook to go the rest of the way alone and I returned to the tent, where I arrived at sun-set much fatigued. A small kettle of tripe de roche to night.
Thursday October 18th 1821 Michel returned in the afternoon having found the blanket and a bag belonging to Vaillant which contained two pistols and some other things. Says he killed nothing. Eat some Tripe de roche to day.
Friday October 19th 1821 Michel refused to hunt to day, but after very urgent solicitations mixed with threats from Mr Hood he set out, returning however very soon with a report that he had seen three deer, but was unable to follow them having wet his foot in a small stream of water thinly covered with ice and being hence obliged to come to the fire. Hepburn and I gathered a kettleful of Tripe de roche to day.
Saturday October 20th 1821 This morning Mr Hood and myself urged Michel to go a hunting that he might if possible leave us some provision, to morrow being the day appointed for his quitting us, but he shewed great unwillingness to go out and lingered about the fire under pretence of cleaning his gun. After we had according to our custom since our abode at the tent read the morning service I went out about noon to gather some tripe de roche leaving Mr Hood at the fire side arguing with Michel. Hepburn was employed cutting down a tree at a short distance from the tent being desirous of accumulating a quantity of fire wood before he left us. A short time after I went out I heard the report of a gun and about ten minutes thereafter Hepburn called to me in great alarm to come to the tent. When I arrived I found my poor friend Hood lying at the fireside lifeless a ball having apparently entered his forehead. Bickersteth’s Scripture help was lying by his side as if dropped from his hand. I was at first horror struck with the idea that he had in a fit of despondency hurried himself into the presence of his Almighty Judge by an act of his own hand. The conduct of Michel, however, soon gave rise to other thoughts and excited suspicions which were confirmed when I discovered upon examining the body that the shot had [entered at?] the back part of the head and passed out at the forehead and that the muzzle of the gun had been applied so close as to set fire to the night cap. The gun being of the longest kind supplied to the Indians could not have been placed in a position to inflict such a wound except by a second person. Although I did not deem it safe openly to evince any suspicion of Michel’s guilt, yet he repeatedly protested that he was incapable of committing such a deed, at the same time however keeping constantly upon his guard and carefully avoiding to leave Hepburn and me together. He was evidently affraid of permitting John to converse with me in private and whenever the latter spoke to me he enquired if he had accused him of the murder. Although the circumstances attendant upon this dreadful transaction convinced me that my own life and Hepburn’s were in danger, yet I felt my mind relieved by the consideration that my Friend had not rushed into eternity by his own deed. John afterwards informed me, that previous to the report of the gun Mr Hood and Michel were speaking to each other in an elevated angry tone and that Mr Hood being seated was hid from him by the willows but that on hearing the report he looked to the fire and saw Michel rising up before the tent door or just behind where Mr Hood was seated. Thinking the gun had been discharged merely for the purpose of cleaning it he did not go to the fire at first and a considerable time elapsed before Michel called to him that Mr Hood was dead.
We passed the night in the tent together, without rest, everyone being on his guard, although from the comparative weakness of John and myself we were obliged to act as if we had no suspicion.
Sunday October 21st 1821 To day after singing off the hair of a Buffalo robe part of the bed clothes of the deceased Mr Hood we boiled and eat a portion of it. Weather cold. Employed arranging our clothes and blankets previous to setting out for the house. Michel killed several partridges which he shared with us. He tried to day to persuade me to go to the woods on the Coppermine River and hunt for deer.
Monday October 22d 1821 We were prevented from starting to day by thick snowy weather and a head wind. Michel killed more partridges close to the tent.
Tuesday October 23d 1821 Thick hazy weather with some small snow. Left the tent. In the course of the march, Michel excited much suspicion by his gestures and conduct, was continually muttering to himself, seemed very unwilling to go to the Fort and tried to persuade me to go to the southward to the woods where he said he could maintain himself all the winter by killing deer. Much alarmed by his behaviour and the expression of his countenance I requested him to leave us and go to the southward by himself whilst we should go to the Fort by ourselves. This proposal encreased his ill nature, he threw out some obscure hints of freeing himself from all constraint on the morrow and I overheard him muttering threats against John whom he openly accused of having told stories against him. He also for the first time assumed such a tone of superiority in addressing me as evinced that he considered us to be completely in his power and he gave vent to several expressions of hatred to the White people or as he termed us in the idiom of the voyageurs, the French, who he said had killed his uncle and two of his relations. In short taking every circumstance of his conduct and character into consideration I came to the conclusion that he would attempt to destroy us [at] the first opportunity that offered and that he had hitherto abstained from doing so from his ignorance of the way to the Fort. In the course of this day however he several times remarked that we were pursuing the same course that Mr Franklin was doing when he left him and that by keeping towards the setting sun he could find the way himself. Neither John nor myself were in a condition to resist even an open attack nor could we by any manoeuvre escape from him. Our united strength was far inferior to his and he was armed with a gun, two pistols, an Indian bayonet and a knife. A consideration of these circumstances induced me after consulting with John during a short period that we were left together to take a step, which nothing could have compelled me to take, had my own safety alone been threatened. To save the life of a man who had voluntarily devoted himself to starvation that he might assist in alleviating the miseries of his officers, and whom at this time I considered as peculiarly under my protection I deprived Michel of his with a pistol. Nothing but the most thorough conviction that he intended to attack us that night or as soon as we came to Martin Lake or some other known place, could have driven me to this dreadful measure, although it was the only method which our extreme weakness left us of defending ourselves.
Wednesday October 24th & [Thursday October] 25th Thick snowy weather but mild. As the view was too limited to enable us to pursue a straight course we remained encamped amongst a few willows and dwarf pines about 5 miles from the tent. We had still a considerable portion of the singed buffalo hide remaining[.]
Friday October 26th. Clear and rather cold weather. Resumed our march which was extremely painful from the depth of the snow particularly on the margins of the small lakes that we crossed. We frequently sunk under the load of our blankets and were obliged to assist each other in getting up. After walking about 3½ miles we were cheered in the afternoon by the sight of a large band of Rein-deer and John went in pursuit of them but his hand being unsteady through weakness he missed. He could not approach sufficiently near from his incapability of running. The chase so exhausted him that we encamped on the spot although it was very unfavourable.
Saturday October 27th 1821 Cold but fine and clear weather. Set out early and about noon after walking two miles came to Martin Lake. There was but little snow on the lake, which together with the addition of force with which we were inspired by the sight of a place that we recognised, enabled us to advance at a good pace. We crossed the track of a Wolverene which from a parallel mark in the snow appeared to have been dragging something. John followed the track and on the borders of the lake found the spine of a deer which had been killed a season or two before. It was clean picked but we extracted some of the spinal marrow which even in its frozen state was excessively acrid. We encamped at one of our spring encampments on the banks of the lake within sight of the Dog-rib rock and suffered much from the coldness of the night and the want of fire-wood.
Sunday October 28th 1821 Rose at day-break but spent a long time in making up our bundles from the extreme cold and the want of a fire. Kept a straight course for the Dog-rib rock but owing to the great depth of the snow were soon fatigued and did not reach it till the afternoon. Although scarcely able to drag our limbs after us we pushed on towards a clump of pines about a mile to the southward of it and arrived at them in the dusk of the evening. During the last few hundred yards of our march I fell down upwards of twenty times and became at length so exhausted that I was unable to stand. If John had not upon this occasion exerted himself far beyond his strength and speedily made the [encampment? incampment?] and kindled a fire I must have perished on the spot. Indeed although I in general aided him as far as I was able in these operations I was at all times so feeble and suffered so much from the cold that I could not at any time in this journey have lighted a fire by myself, so that under the guidance of the Almighty I owe my life to his exertions. This night we had plenty of dry wood.
Monday October 29th 1821 Clear and fine weather. Set out at sun rise. Our march very painful. Although every spot of ground over which we travelled this day had been repeatedly trod by us yet we got bewildered in a small lake that was once well known to us. We fancied that we saw the rapid and the grounds about the house although they were still far distant. Our disappointment when the illusion was disapated by our reaching the end of the lake so operated on our feeble minds as to deprive us of the power of exertion and despairing of reaching the house that night, we would have encamped immediately had there been a sufficiency of wood. Fortunately however upon ascending an eminence we caught a glimpse of the Big-stone a well known rock upon the summit of a hill opposite the Fort and determined upon going on. In the evening we saw several large herds of rein-deer but John who was formerly considered a good marksman was now unable to hold the gun straight, and although he got near them all his efforts to kill one of them proved fruitless. He shot a partridge however. We came in sight of the house at dusk and it is impossible to describe our sensations when on attaining the eminence that overlooks it we beheld the smoke issuing from one of the chimnies. From not having met with any human footsteps in the snow we had been agitated by many melancholy forebodings as we drew nigh our once cheerful residence. On entering this now desolate habitation we had the satisfaction of embracing Mr Franklin about whose safety we had been most interested but the scene of misery we beheld on looking round convinced us that our sufferings were not yet terminated.
The above narrative has been drawn up from recollection, assisted down to October 15th by some short notes made in pencil by Mr Hood. I have not however entered into a full detail of our sufferings having omitted some things as less proper for a public journal[.]
John Richardson.
Surgeon to the Expedition.