OP THE POLAR SEA. 347 



which we travelled to-day, had been repeatedly 

 trodden by us, yet we got bewildered in a small 

 lake. We took it for Marten Lake, which was 

 three times its size, and fancied that we saw the 

 rapid and the grounds about the Fort, although 

 they were still far distant. Our disappointment 

 when this illusion was dispelled, by our reaching 

 the end of the lake, so operated on our feeble 

 minds as to exhaust our strength, and we de- 

 cided upon encamping ; but upon ascending a 

 small eminence to look for a clump of wood, we 

 caught a glimpse of the Big-Stone, a well known 

 rock upon the summit of a hill opposite to the 

 Fort, and determined upon proceeding. In the 

 evening we saw several large herds of rein-deer, 

 but Hepburn, who used to be considered a good 

 marksman, was now unable to hold the gun straight, 

 and although he got near them all his efforts 

 proved fruitless. In passing through a small 

 clump of pines we saw a flock of partridges, 

 and he succeeded in killing one after firing seve- 

 ral shots. We came in sight of the Fort at dusk, 

 and it is impossible to describe our sensations, 

 when on attaining the eminence that overlooks 

 it, we beheld the smoke issuing from one of the 

 chimneys. From not having met with any foot- 

 steps in the snow, as we drew nigh our once 

 cheerful residence, we had been agitated by 



