N^o 15

(Private)

MacKenzies River

March 1^st 1824

Dear Sir,

I have the honor to acknowledge with respectful thanks the reciept of your Friendly Favor dated in April 1823, and beg you will have the goodness to accept my grateful acknowledgements for M^rs MacKenzie's Kind remembrance, & the humble sense I feel for the favor bestowed on me by the Family in General[.]

Last year I did myself the pleasure of writing to you on the Subject of the Expedition, and I do not remember of writing to any but M^r James M^cKenzie so much respecting that Enterprize – as I took the liberty of Stating to yourself[.] Therefore was greatly surprized to understand from your Kind Epistle that extracts from Some of my Letters had found their way in the Public Prints of Montreal[.] I am Sure never to have authorized any thing of the Kind – So far from it that it had been my particular wish to have preserved silence on that head until I could have obtained an opportunity of laying before you my Journal & of craving your opinion and advice thereon[.] I have not seen any of the Canada Public Papers, few I believe find their way now in the North West – otherwise should have had occasion to examine the Paragraphs touching that subject and have Known if they had formed part of my correspondance to Canada[.] This much however may be safely said of the Officers, that they acted on some occasions imprudently[,] injudiciously & showed in one particular instance are unpardonable want of conduct[.] As to the report of some of the Canadian voyageurs having fallen a Sacrifice to Support others – it is currently circulated amongst the Copper Indians, and I am sorry to Say is generally credited in this Country[.] Some of the Survivors now in Athabasca give full credit and shew a desire to confirm Such a belief[.] Besides Doctor Richardson has published in the London Papers – that M^r Robert Hood (one of the Officers) had been Shot by the Iroquois & that he (D^r R.) afterwards Killed the Iroquois, by way of revenge for the Death of his

Friend

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