OP THE POLAR SEA. 307 



more had hardly elapsed before he again desired 

 us to stop, and, bursting into tears, declared he 

 was totally exhausted, and unable to accompany 

 us further. As the encampment was not more 

 than a quarter of a mile distant, we proposed that 

 he should return to it, and rejoin Belanger and 

 Michel, whom we knew to be still there, from 

 perceiving the smoke of a fresh fire ; and because 

 they had not made any preparation for starting 

 when we left them. He readily acquiesced in 

 the proposition, and having taken a friendly leave 

 of each of us, and enjoined us to make all the 

 haste we could in sending relief, he turned back, 

 keeping his gun and ammunition. We watched 

 him until he was near to the fire, and then pro- 

 ceeded. During these detentions, Augustus be- 

 coming impatient of the delay, had walked on, 

 and we lost sight of him. The labour we ex- 

 perienced in wading through the deep snow in- 

 duced us to cross a moderate sized lake, which 

 lay in our track, but we found this operation far 

 more harassing. As the surface of the ice was 

 perfectly smooth, we slipt at almost every step, 

 and were frequently blown down by the wind 

 with such force as to shake our whole frames. 



Poor Fontano was completely exhausted by 

 the labour of making this traverse, and we 

 made a halt until his strength was recruited, by 



