282 BOISTEROUS WEATHER. 



Colden Lake, it was material not only to our 

 comfort, but to our successful progress, that we 

 should have fine weather ; and many a look was 

 cast to windward to read our fortune in the face 

 of nature. But the N.W. gale continued un- 

 abated ; and the morning of the 20th was squally, 

 dark, and cold, with heavy showers, which con- 

 tributed more than any thing to the decaying of 

 the ice, and making it unfit for travelling on. 

 There was no change at noon; but as every 

 hour was of consequence, an effort was made to 

 head the gale, which was with difficulty ac- 

 complished, the boat being driven greatly to 

 leeward, even with the assistance of extra men 

 bearing up against her. The ice was exceed- 

 ingly rotten, and twice all but sunk with us (for 

 in this state it does not break short), a danger 

 which we endeavoured to avoid by running 

 quickly and with a light step over it. The 

 sledges, though heavier, were in less danger, 

 because covering a larger space. 



I took a direction more westerly than that 

 of Maufelly last year, hoping by so doing to 

 shorten the way ; in fact, it was matter of mere 

 chance whether, even if I tried, I should suc- 

 ceed in tracing his route through a labyrinth of 

 islands ; so that I rather trusted to the compass 

 and my general recollection for groping out the 

 way. In the meantime, the weather got worse, 



