OF THE POLAR SEA. §79 



atecl them. The men became furious at the ap- 

 prehension of being deserted by the hunters, and 

 some of the strongest throwing down their bundles, 

 prepared to set out after them, intending to leave 

 the more weak to follow as they could. The en- 

 treaties and threats of the officers, however, pre- 

 vented their executing this mad scheme ; but not 

 before Solomon Belanger was despatched with 

 orders for Mr. Back to halt until we should join 

 him. Soon afterwards a thick fog came on, but 

 we continued our march and overtook Mr. Back, 

 who had been detained in consequence of his com- 

 panions having followed some recent tracks of 

 deer. After halting an hour, during which we 

 refreshed ourselves with eating our old shoes, 

 and a few scraps of leather, we set forward in the 

 hope of ascertaining w^hether an adjoining piece 

 of water was the Copper-Mine River or not, but 

 were soon compelled to return and encamp, for 

 fear of a separation of the party, as we could not 

 see each other at ten yards' distance. The fog 

 diminishing towards the evening, Augustus was 

 sent to examine the water, but having lost his 

 way he did not reach the tents before midnight, 

 when he brought the information of its being a 

 lake. We supped upon tripe de roche, and en- 

 joyed a comfortable fire, having found some pines. 



