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CHAP. IX. 



Reflections. — Halt for the Night. — March resumed. — 

 Obstacles encountered. — The Boats finished. — Eastern 

 Shore of Artillery Lake. — Pursue the Track of 

 Mr. M c Leod. — Two Deer shot. — Stunted Pines. — 

 Encampment. — Difficulty in tracing our Route. — 

 News from Mr. M c Leod. — A Snow Storm. — Fires 

 lighted on the Hills. — Accident to Peter Taylor. — 

 Deviate from our Course. — Accident to James Spence. 

 — Boisterous Weather. — Plunder of a Cache. — Find 

 the runaway Guides. — The Ice unsafe. — Enter upon 

 Lake Aylmer. — A dense Fog. — Sand-hill Bay. — 

 Judicial Investigation. — Animals. — Musk-ox Rapid. 



Join Mr. M c Leod. — Survey of the River. — Indians 



return with the Pemmican. — Stock of Provisions. — 

 An Indian Belle. — A Reindeer Hunt. 



There is something exciting in the first start 

 even upon an ordinary journey. The bustle of 

 preparation — the act of departing, which seems 

 like a decided step taken — the prospect of 

 change, and consequent stretching out of the 

 imagination — have at all times the effect of stir- 

 ring the blood, and giving a quicker motion to 

 the spirits. It may be conceived then with 

 what sensations I set forth on my journey into 

 the Arctic wilderness. I had escaped from the 

 wretchedness of a dreary and disastrous win- 



