292 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



was Strong, and the weather as unfavourable as 

 before for crossing on the raft. We were rejoiced 

 to see Mr. Back and his party in the afternoon. 

 They had traced the lake about fifteen miles 

 farther than we did, and found it undoubtedly 

 connected, as we had supposed, with the lake 

 we fell upon on the 22nd of September; and 

 dreading, as we had done, the idea of coasting its 

 barren shores, they returned to make an attempt 

 at crossing here. St. Germain now proposed to 

 make a canoe of the fragments of painted can- 

 vass in which we wrapped up our bedding. 

 This scheme appearing practicable, a party 

 was sent to our encampment of the i24th and 

 25th last, to collect pitch amongst the small 

 pines that grew there, to pay over the seams of 

 the canoe. 



In the afternoon we had a heavy fall of snow, 

 which continued all the night. A small quantity 

 of tripe (h roche was gathered ; and Credit, who 

 had been hunting, brought in the antlers and bark 

 bone of a deer which had been killed in the 

 summer. The wolves and birds of prey had 

 picked them clean, but there still remained a 

 quantity of the spinal marrow which they had not 

 been able to extract. This, although putrid, was 

 esteemed a valuable prize, and the spine being 

 divided into portions, was distributed equally. 



