770 THE VOYAGE OF THE JE ANNETTE. 



eaten, and some wooden forks and plates showed that 

 more civilized people than natives had lived in the hut. 

 Several drying frames and fox-traps were around in 

 the vicinity. The land bluff was probably twenty-five 

 feet high. Supper at 6.30 — tea and four fourteenths 

 of a pound of pemmican. Turned in at 7.30 p. m. 



September 26th, Monday. — Called cooks at 5.30. 

 Breakfasted at 6.30 (tea, four fourteenths pound pem- 

 mican). Doctor's report not so good. Ericksen has an 

 ulcer on the sole of his foot, and, though he can yet 

 walk on it, in a few days it will be too bad for him 

 to use it at all. 



At 7.30 set Nindemann and the men to work to build 

 a raft for crossing the smaller stream, and sent Alexey 

 alono- its bank for a mile or more to look for a chance 



o 



means of fording or crossing on ice. No such crossing 

 could be found, and at ten, our crazy raft being ready, 

 we commenced to ferry over. 



The first party consisted of Mr. Collins, Alexey, and 

 Lee, with Nindemann and Kaack to ferry. They suc- 

 ceeded in reaching the other side by dint of hard pad- 

 dling ; for though the raft would stick in the mud six 

 feet from shore, at ten feet no bottom could be got with 

 a ten foot pole. 



At 11.30 the raft was back, and I attempted to send 

 a second load of five passengers this time instead of 

 three ; but it was too much, and I had to come clown to 

 three. 



At 3.45 p. M. got the last load (the surgeon and Erick- 

 sen, with Gortz) over, and as soon as we could get our 

 priceless lashings from the raft we had our dinner (four 

 fourteenths of a pound pemmican and tea). This 

 leaves us exactly three meals more food and the dog. 

 But still the unfaltering trust in God which I have had 



