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 [Revised Text]. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0020
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for months on a tree, as a delicacy, and who in taking a review of their provisions reckon their leather shoes as articles of food, the mind recoils with horror at the picture, and boils with indignation against those who by their lawless outrages were the real authors of this distress, and of the calamitous end of Mr Frobisher. When the men left him, he gave them a note in pencil directed "to the acting person at Moose Lake for the N.W. Co." in these words:
"Lepine and Turcotte will inform you the deplorable state they leave me here on Rabbit point at Lac Bourbon; should my men arrive safe, for God's sake lose not a moment to send men, dogs, and provisions before me,* to relieve me from the last stages of wretchedness."
"Benj. Frobisher"
Novr 20th.
He
*To understand this expression reference must be had to a literal translation of the french "au devant de moi," which signifies to meet me, though it is literally "before me." Many french expressions and idioms are adopted into the English that is used in the North West arising from the constant
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L E G E N D :
in red , modifications made by the editor(s).
in lavender , modifications made by the assumed author(s).
