292 A DENSE FOG. 



me in the middle of a first nap. The sun had 

 not risen, or at least was not visible, and I 

 much question if the most rigid Mussulman 

 would have enjoyed so early an ablution. Never- 

 theless my companion, Mr, King, seemed to 

 heed neither rain nor flood ; for having espied 

 a herd of deer on an adjacent hill, he com- 

 posedly put on a blue cloak and set off after 

 them ; and though he got no deer, he brought 

 back some fine plover. 



The 25th was dark and gloomy, but our stray 

 Indian failed not to come in with the pemmican. 

 A fog, that had been more or less prevalent for 

 the last fourteen hours, became rather thicker 

 as night drew on ; but having now my guides, 

 and judging that the men would suffer less in 

 travelling than from lying inactive in their wet 

 clothes, I started at 10 p. m. The Indians, 

 always timorous, kept close along the land, and 

 fixed us constantly amongst the bad and unsafe 

 ice, which now resembled spikes from two to 

 three inches long. Shoes were soon perforated, as 

 well as the pieces of rein-deer skin with the hair 

 on which had been fastened round them as a 

 slight protection to the feet. The party with 

 the boat very wisely kept farther out, and had 

 consequently better ice, the surface of which 

 was like a bed of madrepores, except that the 

 upper edges were considerably sharper. 



