ENTER UPON LAKE AYLMER. 29 1 



forming an island in the distance. Here we 

 would gladly have stopped, had there been 

 moss enough to make a fire ; but this not 

 being the case, the route was continued, at a 

 rate that made me wonder what had called 

 forth this sudden and extraordinary spirit of 

 emulation. I was obliged to put my best leg 

 forward to keep up at all ; and, when we halted 

 for encamping, I wiped my brow, and asked 

 where the deer were which we had been chasing, 

 or why they had started off at full speed, as if 

 the " manito," or evil genius, had been behind 

 them? After a pause, and looking at each 

 other, the Indian said he thought Taylor was 

 trying how fast he could walk, and Taylor 

 said he was sure the Indian wished to pass 

 him, which he was determined he should not 

 do ; so that it seemed I had been assisting at 

 a foot match ; and the people behind were four 

 hours in coming up to us. Passing showers 

 had fallen during the march ; but when the 

 wind died away into a calm, the rain fell in 

 torrents, and the under-stratum of soil being 

 frozen every hollow was transformed into a 

 pool of water, the accumulation of which over- 

 flowing in a thousand little rills gradually un- 

 dermined the tent, which, unfortunately, had 

 been pitched on a declivity, and finally insinu- 

 ating themselves between the blankets, awoke 



u 2 



