TO THE PLAINS. 121 



montiayoo and his son, leaving old Kekekooarsis and 

 the women in charge of the house until our return. 

 We took with us two dog-sleighs, and travelled in 

 snow-shoes, for the snow had now become far too 

 deep to move without them. We had used them for 

 short distances for some time, and had become 

 tolerably expert, but found marching all day long in 

 them very fatiguing at first. The Hunter led the 

 way, his son followed driving one train of dogs, 

 and we came next with the other. 



After travelling a day and a half, we diverged 

 from the track that La Honde had taken, and steered 

 a point or two more west. The country was, as 

 before, a mixture of woods, lakes, and patches of 

 open prairie, somewhat hilly, and difficult for sleighs. 

 The weather turned intensely cold — far more severe 

 than any we had before experienced. Light showers 

 of snow fell in minute particles, as it were frozen 

 dew, when the sun was shining brightly and the sky 

 without a cloud. Clothed in three or four flannel 

 shirts, one of duffel, and a leather shirt ; our hands 

 encased in '' mittaines," or large gloves of moose-skin 

 lined with duffel, made without fingers, large enough 

 to admit of being easily doffed on occasion, and carried 

 slung by a band round the neck ; our feet swathed in 

 bands of duffel, covered by enormous moccasins ; and 

 our ears and necks protected by a curtain of fur, we 

 were yet hardly able to keep warm with the most 

 active exercise ; and when we stayed to camp, 

 shivered and shook as we essayed to light a fire. 



Masses of ice, the size of a man's fist, formed on 



