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Saturday 30^th May 1801. Cold morning[.] [A]bout ten oClock the Canoes that I sent to the Island arrived & four of the R.L. Biche men along with them, they brought me a letter from M^r M^cGillis who informs me he has made 60 Packs independant of the Iroquois Packs which may am^t to 23[,] his letter was dated the 24^th Ins^t & then he had not left his fort[.] [T]he men tell me that La Bonne deserted at the Middle River to return to the Fort, he was very sick & had almost Shott off one of his fingers. [C]ame on to rain very heavyly from noon untill midnight without intermission so that the people could not finish the Canoes[.]

Sunday 31^st[.] Cleared up about 7 oClock AM. & I Sent off the Canoes about one oClock P.M. I took the Inventory of the effects remaining at S. River & gave Perigné orders to build a Store & dwelling room on the most raised spot he could find about the Fort[.] I Sent Boisselle & Petit Jean off in a small Canoe to go to the Island in case I should have any thing to send back from there[.] Sabouran (the young Foutrace) arrived from Lac La cour[s]e soon after the Canoes went off[.] [T]he Beggue & the cut finger are both there & I fancy will return to Swan River. I left the Fort about half past three P.M. & I overtook the Canoes at the head of the Middle river where we encamped[.] I Left 3 Bags Pimican to Perigné & 2 Kegs grease.

Monday 1^st June 1801[.] I got to the Isle à la Marde at 8 oClock A.M. where I found Mess^rs M^cGillis, Harrison, Nolin & all the River La Biche Men & two Iroquois that hired themselve[s] to go & come to & from G.P. – M^r L'Etang & a Couple of his Clerks with only his own Canoe I found here likewise[.] [T]he scarcity of men oblidged M^r M^cGillis to determine along with myself that we Should go out in the same Canoe & as his Canoe is the best we take it but retain the men of mine[.] We Settled the Canoes & their loadings[,] they are only 3 men to a Canoe from this to Fort Dauphin, & Severall Middle men are oblidged to Steer[.] I gave charge of the Brigade to Harrison to whom I gave Sugar & Provisions for his Voyage out, M^r M^cGillis had some wine remaining with which I made Old L'Etang very Drunk[.] [F]inding we should be heavily loaded & lumbered I lent L'Etang 6 Bags Pimican to be returned at Bas de la Riviere[.] I had two motives to induce me to be so uncommonly accommodating, first debarassing my own Canoes of so many pieces, next that those Six pieces with what he has in his Canoe already will load it so much that he cannot go on faster than my loaded Canoes[.] M^r M^cGillis has eighty nine Packs in all here including the Iroquois Packs[.]

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