380 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



liis back, and proceeded towards the shore. One 

 little fellow, carrying a liuge six-feet Yankee, stum- 

 bled and fell, with his rider ; both were soused over- 

 head, and essayed several times in vain to gain their 

 legs, for the current was so powerful that it swept 

 them down at each attempt. The lookers-on roared 

 with laughter, but it was no joke to the sufferers to 

 ])e immersed in the icy waters of the Fraser on such 

 a day. The boat was now lifted off the shallow, 

 the waders re-embarked, and w^e continued our 

 course until nearly dark, when McBride proposed to 

 land and camp for the night, as we were still many 

 miles from Soda Creek, and there were several 

 awkward rapids before us. A few daredevils voted 

 for going forward, but the majority decided against it, 

 and we pulled in to the bank, at a place where there 

 were some large stacks of wood, cut for the use of 

 the steamer. Every one now tried to strike a light, 

 but Milton was the first to succeed, and we were 

 soon surrounded by a circle of roaring fires, at the 

 expense of the owners of the Quesnelle steamboat. 

 McBride produced some loaves and a flitch of bacon, 

 which very soon disappeared before the fierce attacks 

 of the hungry party, and we then turned in on 

 couches of pine boughs. It snowed fast all night, 

 and we woke up in the morning under a thick white 

 counterpane. There was nothing for breakfast, and 

 as soon as the morning mists cleared away from the 

 river we took to the boat again, and reached Soda 

 Creek safely in about a couple of hours. We had 

 taken our places in the '' express wagon," running 



