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[circled] 79 Camp No 6 of voyage from Peels Riv to Anderson - About 10 Miles above Old Ft Good Hope Feb 18 1862

Soon-dah ohun ea Chah

I have written a long sort of Journal or general letter to you folks at home, which you two will see.- By it you will learn why you get only this apology for a letter by this packet

I shall only be a few days at Good Hope before the packet leaves & [letters crossed out] this is the first letter except one to Panx & Dalce and the afore said general letter that Ive even begun to any of you folk at Home -

I had hoped to write in the camps going up but have found it impossible to do so till now

- We are carrying on as fast as we can and dont get any time to spare for other matters than those incidental to the voyage -

I left Peels River on the 13th

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and we hope to reach Good Hope on the 22nd which will be as quick a trip as has been made at this season - tho' weve lost one whole day - Our brigade consists of myself, 3 Indians and a Canadian servant of the H B co (not so good as the Indians though) with my own train of dogs and another one. I drive my own dogs of course -

Our provisions were getting short when, fortunately, one of the Indians - who had gone ahead with my gun - killed a large moose - This was last night. So we camped immediately and have remained all day in this camp preparing some of the meat for carrying by drying it a little - and eating with the help of our dogs, a good deal more of it. It was a big male moose, but after caching part of a shoulder and taking along with us the two thighs and ribs and some

[circled] 80

30 lbs of smaller peices we shall leave nothing but the bare bones! Both dogs and men have pretty good appetites on a winter voyage within the arctic circle In these two nights and a day our dogs & ourselves will have consumed considerably over 200 lbs of moose meat (that is taking the weight of the bones into account) and withal we've eaten the head which is very large in a moose Fact is I believe weve consumed nearer 300 than 200 pounds for the meat alone of such a moose when brought to the font[?] usually weighs between 400 & 500 lbs - I say Charlie! wouldnt your butcher's bill be a many[?] item If you had voyageurs appetites?

I have been hard at work all day repairing snow shoes, dogs harness, sled etc and making shoes for my dogs whose feet are getting badly cut by the broken ice - So

So tis only now at night that I've gotten time to write, and as tis snowing & blowing like fun writing by the light of a campfire is rather difficult - Luckily it is quite mild so we've made a sort of lodge of our blankets and the snow doesn't wet us -

I got one letter only from you - (From Charlie) dated some time last spring - I trust I may congratulate you on a happy result to that expected event in "the month of roses" - Wonder if I'm an "uncle or an aunt" as Handy Andy said! As soon as I hear your hopes were realized I shall grow very dignified and begin to consider myself growing old. I shall be very impatient to see the next packet that I may learn all about the matter. - I trust you will still "walk on the ground" am not sure you will be willing to