Wilcocke, Samuel Hull. Narrative of Circumstances attending the death of the late Benjamin Frobisher, Esquire a partner of the North West Company of Montreal, ca. 1820. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0019

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in that season of the year (October) it is boisterous and severe, heavy storms of rain, sleet, and hail, being followed by strong intense frosts and frequent snowstorms. A soldier's camp bed of straw under his sorry canvas tent, would have been afforded a luxurious shelter place of repose in comparison to their hard and unsheltered quarters. They were however running from slavery, and had, though a distant, yet a cheering, prospect of deliverance. Motive's to endure privations and miseries, untold, and unknown to all but those who have endured suffered them.θ

Looking at the mutilated and half effaced scraps that remain of Mr Frobisher's pencil journal, it becomes partially legible on "Octr 13th. Encamped at the entrance of Knee Lake" (a Lake about 23 leagues twenty sixty miles long, and full of islands) "set our net, took 5 fish. Octr 14th. Degraded at the old houses" (Degraded is a voyageur's term for landing or stopping which they did for being prevented from proceeding by the weather, being weatherbound.) This was at an abandoned post of the Hudson's Bay Company on the North West shore of Knee-Lake) "took 6 fish. Octr 15th. Marched all day, strong head gale, set our net, took 35 fish. Oct. 16. We had a fi[n]e day, encamped at the end of Knee-Lake. Oct. 17th. We marched all day … found … the fort this day … G … Lake. Oct. 18th. We were obliged to

θIt has never not been ascertained whether any pursuit was instituted after the fugitives from Y.F. It may however be conjectured that scarcely any attempt of the kind was made, from the conviction the H.B. people must have entertained then

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