28S THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



to take charge of one pack-animal, which he managed 

 very well under faYOurable conditions. But although 

 it had been hard enough to keep our caravan in order 

 w^hen there was a track to follow, it was ten times 

 more difficult and troublesome now. As long as each 

 horse could see the one in front of him, he followed 

 with tolerable fidelity ; but whenever any little delay 

 occurred, and the leading horses disappeared amongst 

 the trees and underwood, the rest turned aside in 

 different directions. Then followed a rush and 

 scramble after them, our efforts to bring them back 

 often only causing them to plunge into a bog or 

 entangle themselves amongst piles of logs. When 

 involved in any predicament of this kind, the mise- 

 rable animals remained stupidly passive, for they had 

 become so spiritless and worn out, and so injured 

 about the legs by falling amongst the timber and 

 rocks, that they would make no effort to help them- 

 selves, except under the stimulus of repeated blows. 

 These accidents occurring a dozen times a day, caused 

 the labour to fall very heavily ; for we were so short- 

 handed, that each man could obtain little assistance 

 from the rest, and was obliged to get out of his diffi- 

 culties as well as he could, unaided. When this was 

 accomplished, often only to be effected by cutting 

 off the packs, most of the party had gone he knew not 

 whither, and the other horses in his charge had dis- 

 appeared. These had to be sought up, and a careful 

 cast made to regain the faint trail left by the party in 

 advance. Another similar misfortune would often occur 

 before he joined his companions, and the same exer- 



