394 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



that the canoes were kept from turning their broadsides to the 

 waves, though we sometimes steered with all the paddles. One of 

 them narrowly escaped being overset by this accident, happening 

 in mid-channel, where the waves were so high that the mast-head 

 of our canoe was often hid from the other, though it was sailing 

 within hail. The annexed plate, from Mr. Back's sketch, will convey 

 to the reader an accurate idea of the peril of our situation. 



The traverse, however, was made ; we were then near a high 

 rocky lee shore, on which a heavy surf was beating. The wind 

 being on the beam, the canoes drifted fast to leeward; and, on 

 rounding a point, the recoil of the sea from the rocks was so great 

 that they were with difficulty kept from foundering. We looked in 

 vain for a sheltered bay to land in ; but, at length, being unable to 

 weather another point, we were obliged to put ashore on the open 

 beach, which, fortunately, was sandy at this spot. The debarkation 

 was effected in the manner represented in the plate ; and, fortu- 

 nately, without further injury than the splitting of the head of 

 the second canoe, which was easily repaired. 



Our encampment being near to the place where we killed the deer 

 on the 1 1 th, almost the whole party went out to hunt, but they 

 returned in the evening without having seen any game. The 

 berries, however, were ripe and plentiful, and, with the addition 

 of some country tea, furnished a supper. There were some showers 



■ 



in the afternoon, and the weather was cold, the thermometer 

 being 42°, but the evening and night were calm and fine. It may be 

 remarked that the musquitoes disappeared when the late gales 



commenced 



t f 





August 25. — Embarking at three A.M., we stretched across 

 the eastern entrance of Bathurst's Inlet, and arrived at an island, 

 which I have named after Colonel Barry, of Newton Barry. Some 

 deer being seen on the beach, the hunters went in pursuit of 

 them, and succeeded in killing three females, which enabled us to 



