SM JOURNEV TO THE SIIOUES 



tripe de roc he, and walked at a tolerable pace, 

 and in an hour arrived at a fine group of pines, 

 about a mile and a quarter from the tent. We 

 sincerely regretted not having seen these before 

 we had separated from our companions, as they 

 would have been better supplied with fuel here, 

 and there appeared to be more tripe de roche than 

 where wo had loft them. 



Descending afterwards into a more level coun- 

 try, we found tho snow very deep, and the labour 

 of wading through it so fatigued the whole party, 

 tliat we were compellcni to encamp, after a march 

 of four miles and a half. Belanger and Michel 

 were left lar behind, and when they arrived at 

 tho on(\ampmont appeared quite exhausted. Tlie 

 liirnuM-, bursting into tears, declared his inability 

 to pnKV(\i witli tho jiarty, and begged me to let 

 him go back noxt nir-rriiii:; u> tlio tent, and shortly 

 afterwards Midioi laado tli- same request. I was 

 in hopes they might recover a little strength by 

 the night's rest, and therefore deferred giving any 

 permission until the morning. The sudden failure 

 in the strength of these men cast a gloom over 

 the rest, which I tried in vain to remove, by re- 

 peated assurances that the distance to Fort En- 

 terprise was short, and that we should, in all 

 probability, reach it in four days. Not being 

 able to find any tripe de roche, we drank an in- 



