266 PURSUE THE TRACK OF MR. M c LEOD. 



mined on undertaking it myself, with one man 

 selected for the purpose, leaving directions with 

 Mr. King to proceed with the boat, &c. in a 

 straight line from point to point, until he should 

 see signals to guide him to the caches, or to en- 

 camp. The air was keen, even to freezing ; the 

 ice hard, and galling to the feet. Indeed, the 

 sensation was like that of treading on sharp 

 palisades : but the runners now slipt smoothly 

 over it, and opposed considerably less resistance 

 to the men, who began to talk of carrying 

 heavier loads, so as to avoid the fatigue of 

 returning for the baggage left behind at every 

 encampment. The land had a uniform and 

 uninteresting outline, with here and there a 

 dark clump of pines, though these began now to 

 be less frequent. After four hours' brisk walk- 

 ing in the night, — but not in the dark, for it 

 was quite light all the time, — we stopped at the 

 mouth of a small river, the banks of which it was 

 thought might produce a little wood; and on 

 inspecting some recent marks, the place was 

 found to have been an encampment of Mr. 

 M c Leod. The sun rose at 2. 15' a.m. due 

 north by compass. The boat arrived safely, 

 but somehow or other the men had contrived 

 to break the runner ; so having harnessed the 

 dogs to single sledges, they were despatched to 

 the carpenters with orders to take the present 



