294 REACH SAND-HILL BAY. 



about for the most sheltered place to lie down : 

 some wrung their blankets, while others, as a 

 last resource, put on their whole wardrobe, in 

 the hope of a little warmth. These precautions, 

 however, were ineffectual ; for in the morning 

 the greater part found themselves in pools of 

 water, which their own weight had brought 

 down on them from the higher surface. I 

 happened to see one of them awake, and could 

 not help laughing at the sudden jerk with 

 which he withdrew his right hand out of the 

 puddle in which he had unconsciously placed it. 

 The morning of the 27th was still foggy ; 

 but a prospect of clearing to the N. W. en- 

 couraged us to start, and about noon it became 

 fine. A fresh cache afforded a seasonable recruit 

 to our provisions, which would not have held 

 out beyond this day. It was a joyful sight to 

 see Sand-hill Bay, and to know that we were 

 now within a few miles of that water which 

 was to carry us to the Polar Sea. As we n eared 

 the portage of the Thlew-ee-choh a white tent 

 was distinguished, with a crowd of people 

 around it ; and this, of course, proved to be 

 Mr. M c Leod and his party, who scarcely ex- 

 pected us so early. The badness of the weather 

 and the distance from which his men had to 

 fetch the meat had caused two days of detention, 

 for which I was not sorry, as it gave me the 



