York Factory Journal
May 2 1812
" Sawyers came home from Tent at back of Island having sawed 138 logs into plank & weatherboards of various sizes. Mag. Spence ill."
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May 5 1812
..." Magnus Spence unfit for any labourious Duty - but occasionally works at Netmaking"...
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York Factory Journal
Nov. 27 1812
" one of the people came with a letter from Mr Johnston he says he left the dogs at the tent but one of the men had not arrived having a sled to haul"

Nov. 28
" The Steward came? from the wooding tent he reports the man had not arrived & believing an accident had happened he sent 2 men from his own & caused 2 from the Sawyers tent to search after him but very fortunately the poor wretch had survived the night and came to the Factory about midday pretty much frozen on his face hands & feet no wonder as the Thermometer for the last three nights was -36, -42 & -38 he had no leather cloathing blanket nor fire bag. unfortunately too one of the Dogs had not arrived but was found this morning eaten up by a troop of 14 wolves"...
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York Factory Journal
Dec. 23 1812
..." Mr. Cooks Daughter with an Indian Man & his wife came to the Factory with sad accounts of the starving condition of her fathers family. but still more so of the Indians who are reduced to the sad necefsity of digging out of the ice the putrid rotten carcases of those Deer they had killed in Aug. & September & neglected them because not fat enough"
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York Factory Journal
Feb. 6 1813
..." 2 Indian Men & 1 woman came from their friends? about 5 days Journey from here in a very wretched condition reporting their party having experienced the most grevious famine ever before known among them indeed they bear very evident marks about themselves one in particular being literally a skeleton"...
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York Factory Journal
Feb. 15 1813
..." two men & 5 dogs came home from the wooders for provisions with which they set off same day again"

Feb. 16
" Two men again came home"..." they relate that one of the men of yesterday fell sick or weakly on his return which occaisioned his being severely frozen and was obliged to be left by his comrade 4 miles short of their tent when he did not arrive till 10 PM & it was 2 hours more before the poor fellow was got there on sleds when almost dead"

Feb. 17
" I went off at 3 AM this morning to see the above man and find indeed his hands shockingly frostbit his nose & almost all his toes are also severely afflicted and requires Surgical attention immediately"

Feb. 18
" Early this morning a man went off to fetch the Surgeon from Sam's Creek"...

Feb. 20
" Mefs Spencer & Holdsworth [the surgeon] came home they were two days in coming what the anxcity of the blacksmith Thos' Halcrow performed in 1 tho' with great pain having walked on a stubble? about 16 hours"

Feb. 21
" The surgeon went to see the frost bit man who is as well as can be hoped"

Feb. 22
" Mr. Spencer and the Packet Indians went & pitched the tent in 10% Creek again it being resolved to have the frost bit patient hauled there for the sake of being near the Surgeon"

Mar. 9 1813
..." 2 men haul'd down the Man who was frost bit to 10% Creek to be near the Surgeon"

Mar. 18
" Went to see the Man who was frozen then met the Surgeon whose opinion my own coincides with that the right hand ought to be amputated at the wrist joint."

Mar. 22
..." I accompanied Mr. Holdsworth & Mr. Spencer to afsist in Amputating Mr. Browns hand"...

York Factory Journal
Mar. 23 1813
" Heard that Mr. Brown is doing well"...
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York Factory Journal
Apr. 8 1813
..." Late last night 3 men came from Mr. Johnstons for provisions. as one of these had put himself off duty on the 31st March & refused ever since to work besides being impertinant & insolent to his officers. I had him ordered before me Mefs Spencer & Holdsworth being present when he owned his guilt. this rendered it unnecefsary to call for witnefses and he was immediately ordered into confinement for 6 days it being his first offence"...
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York Factory Journal
Apr. 19 1813
" Two Indians the father & brother of the Girl secretly engaged to Mr. Spencer came for provisions they say they had seen where he had stopt to eat about 20 miles from here but without making a fire"
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