OF THE POLAR SEA. 285 



disappearance of the snow, that we advanced 

 seven or eight miles along the lake before noon, 

 exclusive of the loss of distance in rounding its 

 numerous bays. At length we came to an arm, 

 running away to tlie north-east, and apparently 

 connected with the lake which we had coasted on 

 the 22d, 23d, and 24th, of the month. 



The idea of again rounding such an extensive 

 piece of water and of travelling over so barren a 

 country was dreadful, and we feared that other 

 arms, equally large, might obstruct our path, and 

 that the strength of the party would entirely fail, 

 long before we could reach the only part where 

 we were certain of finding wood, distant in a 

 direct line twenty-five miles. While we halted 

 to consider of this subject, and to collect the 

 party, the carcass of a deer was discovered in 

 the cleft of a rock into which it had fallen in the 

 spring. It was putrid, but little less acceptable 

 to us on that account, in our present circum- 

 stances ; and a fire being kindled, a large portion 

 of it was devoured on the spot, affording us an 

 unexpected breakfast, for in order to husband our 

 small remaining portion of meat, we had agreed 

 to make only one scanty meal a day. The men, 

 cheered by this unlooked-for supply, became san- 

 guine in the hope of being able to cross the 

 stream on a raft of willows, although they had 



