282 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



leaving the island, wlien we came upon two camps, 

 where were strewn pack-saddles and harness, and great 

 cedars cnt down on every side, with heaps of chips 

 and splinters, showing that they had been nsed to 

 make rafts and canoes. An inscription in pencil on 

 a tree told us this was the emio^rants' " Slausrhter 

 Camp." We searched in every direction, but no trail 

 forward could be discovered. 



The truth, serious enough, now plainly forced 

 itself upon our minds, that the whole band of emi- 

 grants had given up in despair the idea of cutting 

 their way through forests so dense and encumbered, 

 abandoned their horses, killed their oxen for provi- 

 sions, and made large rafts in order to drop down the 

 river to Kamloops. 



We were in a very disheartening position. Before 

 crossing the Eraser a fortnight before we had lost 

 nearly everything we possessed. Our provisions were 

 now reduced to about ten pounds of pemmican, and 

 the same of flour, or not three days' rations for the six 

 persons. Game of all kinds— as is always the case in 

 vast forests — was exceedingly scarce, and if it had 

 been plentiful, we could have killed but little with 

 the few charges of pow^der we had left. Our clothes 

 w^ere already in rags, and we were obliged to patch 

 our moccasins with pieces of the saddle-bags. The 

 horses were weak and in wTctched condition, having 

 had little proper pasture since leaving Edmonton 

 tw^o months before, and for the last fortnight had 

 subsisted upon leaves and twigs, with an occasional 

 mouthful of marsh grass, or equisetum. 



