300 DIFFICULT PASSAGE. 



Icy River on the left, more marks were seen and 

 other meat found ; and while we were occupied 

 about it, the interpreter, accompanied by seve- 

 ral Indians, came from the hills, having left 

 Mr. M c Leod to follow their companions who 

 were before. Leaving a note containing direc- 

 tions for the proper disposal of the meat, we 

 went on, and in about two hours overtook the 

 other men who were brought to a stand by the 

 weakness of a bar of rotten ice that bent most 

 ominously in whatever direction it was tried. 

 However, we had come too far to recede, and 

 one part was at length discovered that with 

 careful placing of the feet on the whiter, and 

 therefore stronger, protuberances, was cohesive 

 enough to bear the weight of a single person, — 

 who, having first passed himself with the end of 

 a line fastened to his sledge, got upon the firmer 

 ice, and then with a sudden jerk twitched his 

 load across after him. On gaining the narrows 

 that lead into Musk-Ox Lake, our progress was 

 cut short by open water ahead, as well as along 

 each bank. It was too deep to ford ; so having 

 jumped together upon a piece of ice about twelve 

 feet long and eight or ten broad, and then de- 

 tached it by cutting a line with the axes, we 

 made a sort of natural raft, which we ferried 

 over, with the same axes and the tent poles for 

 paddles. A great deal of snow yet encumbered 



