404 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



farther up the river in search of .a better crossing place, and did not 

 rejoin us to-day. As several of the party were drenched from head to 

 foot, and we were all wet to the middle, our clothes became stiff with 

 the frost, and we walked with much pain for the remainder of the day. 

 The march was continued to a late hour, being anxious to rejoin the 

 hunters who had gone before, but we were obliged to encamp at the 

 end of ten miles and a quarter, without seeing them. Our on 

 meal to-day consisted of a partridge each, (which the hunters shot,) 

 mixed with tripe de roche. This repast although scanty for men, 

 with appetites such as our daily fatigue created, proved a cheerful 

 one, and was received with thankfulness. Most of the men had to 

 sleep in the open air, in consequence of the absence of Credit, who 

 carried their tent ; but we fortunately found an unusual quantity of 

 roots to make a fire, which prevented their suffering much from the 

 cold, though the thermometer was at 1 7°. 



We started at six on the 9th, and at the end of two miles re- 

 gained our hunters, who were halting on the borders of a lake amidst 

 a clump of stunted willows. This lake stretched to the westward as 

 far as we could see, and its waters were discharged by a rapid stream 

 one hundred and fifty yards wide. Being entirely ignorant where 

 we might be led by pursuing the course of the lake, and dreading 

 the idea of going a mile unnecessarily out of the way, we deter- 

 mined on crossing the river if possible ; and the canoe was gummed 

 for the purpose, the willows furnishing us with fire. But we had to 

 await the return of Junius before we could make the traverse. In 

 the mean time we gathered a little tripe de roche, and breakfasted 

 upon it and a few partridges that were killed in the morning. 

 St. Germain and Adam were sent upon some recent tracks of deer. 

 Junius arrived in the afternoon, and informed us that he had seen 

 a large herd of musk-oxen on the banks of Cracroft's River, and had 

 wounded one of them, but it had escaped. He brought about four 

 pounds of meat, the remains of a deer that had been devoured by 



