318 OUR PROGRESS STOPPED BY THE ICE. 



M c Kay and Sinclair were immediately de- 

 spatched, one on either side of the lake, to find 

 out the most likely part for getting through. 

 But while they were absent, a light breeze from 

 the N.W. sprung up, and opened a channel along 

 the western shore, barred only by two pieces of 

 ice, which were jammed against the point nearest 

 us. Through these a passage was cut ; and on 

 the return of the men, who, I was sorry to hear, 

 had seen another lake covered with ice, the boat 

 was hauled carefully on, and for three or four 

 hundred yards we were enabled to use the oars; 

 a shift of wind then closed the heavier masses 

 ahead; but, by cutting and poling, we ultimately 

 succeeded in reaching open water, and at l h 30 ra 

 a.m. again pitched the tent. As the boat leaked 

 a little, she was left in the water ; and, to pre- 

 vent her getting damaged from the floating ice, 

 the men slept in her. 



In the morning of the 9th there was more 

 rain, so that we did not get away before 

 10 h a.m. ; when it fortunately happened that 

 a narrow opening was formed inshore, and 

 allowed of our crossing to the eastern, which 

 was the weather side, where there was a lane 

 of water as far as the low points allowed us 

 to see. A little more than an hour's pulling, 

 however, took us to the end of it ; and we 

 found that a reef of large stones, cased in ice, 



