ffS JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



some high pities on the banks of the river, having 

 had several snow showers during the day, which 

 considerably impeded the dogs, so that we had 

 not proceeded more than fifteen miles. 



^'Dtcember 24 and 2o,—We continued along the 

 river, frequently making smaU portages to avoid 

 going round the points, and passed some small 

 canoes, which the Indians had left for the winter. 

 The snow was so deep that the dogs were obliged 

 to stop every ten minutes Uo rest themselves; 

 and the cold so excessive, that both the men were 

 badly frozen on both sides of the face and chin. 

 At length, having come to a long meadow, which 

 the dogs could not cross that night, we halted in 

 an adjoining wood, and were presently joined by 

 a Canadian, who was on his return to the fort, 

 and who treated us with some fresh meat ui ex- 

 change for some pemmican. During the latter 

 part of the day we had seen numerous tracks of 

 the moose, butfalo, and marten. 



- December 26.~The weather was so cold that 

 we were compelled to run to prevent ourselves 

 from freezmg; our route lay across some large 

 meadows which appeared to abound in 

 though the Indians around Slave Lake 

 state of great want. About noon we passed a 

 sulphur-stream, which ran into the river • it ap- 

 peared to come from a plain about fifty yards dis- 



