SUPPLY OF DEER-FLESH. 235 



they left only my servant at the Fort, Mr, King 

 drove the dog sledge for wood, and I made 

 myself as useful as I could. The three men had 

 neither snow shoes nor sleighs ; and, when they 

 got to the deep snow filling up the narrow valleys 

 and ravines in the mountains, they were obliged 

 to scramble across by creeping on their hands 

 and knees. In this unsatisfactory and fatiguing 

 manner, they neared the lodge of the Indians ; 

 who, as they slipped and sunk into the snow, at 

 every effort to advance, set up loud and merry 

 laughs, but did not fail, nevertheless, to make 

 them welcome to a kettle of prepared meat when 

 they did at last succeed in getting within their 

 humble dwelling. For their return they were 

 provided with snow shoes ; and, having brought 

 part of the meat, we enjoyed with a relish which 

 may be imagined the first steak of fresh meat 

 which we had tasted for three months. 



On the 23d of February, a party of our own 

 people also arrived, after fourteen days' travelling, 

 with a small quantity of half-dried meat ; in their 

 journey for which, they had been three entire 

 days without food. They reported the failure of 

 Mr. M c Leod's endeavours to procure fish at his 

 new station ; but added, that two of the best 

 men were going from place to place, until they 

 should be more successful. 



The worst information, however, regarded a 



