268 TWO DEER SHOT. 



cache ; but my attendant (a half-breed) and I 

 sought in vain for the wished-for treasure : we 

 saw, indeed, an Indian encampment, where a deer 

 had been killed, and the traces of a sledge near 

 the shore, and hence surmised that our store 

 had been pilfered. Before morning, however, 

 we were compensated for the disappointment 

 by the acquisition of two deer, shot by Sinclair 

 and Taylor. 



June 13th. — The few trees now met with 

 were stunted pines, from three to six feet high, 

 spreading much at the base or near the root, 

 and generally dead at the top. They were seen 

 only on sand-hills, near small rivulets, or (very 

 rarely) on some moist declivity. The double 

 trips fatigued the people so much, that I ac- 

 quiesced in their request to be permitted to 

 take additional burdens, and travel more slowly, 

 on condition, however, that they were to make 

 good a greater distance each journey ; and at 

 the usual hour this plan was put into execution, 

 and appeared likely to answer. Some marks 

 led us to a cache ; and again, at midnight, we 

 found a second, the meat of which I caused 

 to be placed on the ice, so that the main party 

 mio;ht not be drawn aside from their course. 



The eastern land now became broken into 

 bays so irregular in their form as to lead us 

 more than once astray, and occasion some diffi- 



