Chap. X. FRANKLIN AND RICHARDSON'S JOURNEY. 389 



be made from the rafts and covered with canvas, 

 but was not yet finished. In short, the extreme 

 degree of starvation was at hand. Franklin thus 

 describes their deplorable condition : — 



" I set out with the intention of going to St. Germain to 

 hasten his operations, but though it was only three quarters 

 of a mile distant, I spent three hours in a vain attempt to 

 reach him, my strength being unequal to the labour of wad- 

 ing through the deep snow ; and I returned quite exhausted 

 and much shaken by the numerous falls I had got. My 

 associates were all in the same debilitated state ; and poor 

 Hood was reduced to a perfect shadow, from the severe 

 bowel complaints which the tripe de roche never failed to 

 give him. Back was so feeble as to require the support of 

 a stick in walking ; and Dr. Richardson had lameness su- 

 peradded to weakness. The voyagers were somewhat 

 stronger than ourselves, but more indisposed to exertion, on 

 account of their despondency. The sensation of hunger 

 was no longer felt by any of us, yet we were scarcely able 

 to converse upon any other subject than the pleasures of 

 eating. We were much indebted to Hepburn at this crisis. 

 The officers were unable, from weakness, to gather tripe de 

 roche themselves, and Samandre, who had acted as our cook 

 on the journey from the coast, sharing in the despair of the 

 rest of the Canadians, refused to make the slightest exer- 

 tion. Hepburn, on the contrary, animated by a firm reli- 

 ance on the beneficence of the Supreme Being, tempered 

 with resignation to His will — Hepburn was indefatigable in 

 his exertions to serve us, and daily collected all the tripe de 

 roche that was used in the officers' mess." — pp. 427, 428. 



On the 4th of October they all safely landed on 

 the southern bank of the river, one at a time, the 

 canoe being drawn back again in succession till all 



