OF THE POLAR SEA. 



403 



to allay the pangs of hunger, and enabled us to proceed at a quicker 

 pace than before. The depth of the snow caused us to march in 

 Indian file, that is in each other's steps ; the voyagers taking it in 

 turn to lead the party. A distant object was pointed out to this 

 man in the direction we wished to take, and Mr. Hood followed 

 immediately behind him, to renew the bearings, and keep him from 

 deviating more than could be helped from the mark. It may be 

 here observed, that we proceeded in this manner throughout our 



route across the barren grounds. 



In the afternoon we got into a more hilly country, where the 

 ground was strewed with large stones. The surface of these was 

 covered with lichens of the genus gyrophora, which the Canadians 

 term tripe de roche. A considerable quantity was gathered, and 

 with half a partridge each, (which were shot in the course of the 

 day,) furnished us with a slender supper, which we cooked with a 

 few willows, dug up from beneath the snow. We passed a comfortless 

 night in our damp clothes, but took the precaution of sleeping upon 

 our socks and shoes to prevent them from freezing. This plan was 

 afterwards adopted throughout the journey. 



At half past five in the morning we proceeded ; and after walking 

 about two miles, came to Cracroft's Kiver, flowing to the westward, 

 with a very rapid current over a rocky channel. We had much diffi- 

 culty in crossing this, the canoe being useless, not only from the bot- 

 tom of the channel being obstructed by large stones, but also from its 

 requiring gumming, an operation which, owing to the want of wood 

 and the frost, we were unable to perform. However, after following 

 the course of the river some way, we effected a passage by mean s of a 

 range of large rocks that crossed a rapid. As the current was strong, 

 and many of the rocks were covered with water to the depth of two 

 or three feet, the men were exposed to much danger in carrying their 

 heavy burthens across, and several of them actually slipped into the 

 stream, but were immediately rescued by the others. Junius went 



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