JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



Ma. BACK'S NARRATIVE. 



1821. Captain Franklin having directed me 

 October 4. to proceed with St. Germain, Belanger, 

 and Beauparlant, to Fort Enterprise, in the hope 

 of obtaining relief for the party, I took leave of 

 my companions, and set out on my journey, 

 through a very swampy country, which, with the 

 cloudy state of the weather and a keen north-east 

 wind, accompanied by frequent snow showers, 

 retarded us so much, that we scarcely got more 

 than four miles when we halted for the night, and 

 made a meal of tripe de roche and some old 

 leather. 



On the 5th, we set out early, amidst extremely 

 deep snow, sinking frequently in it up to the 

 thighs, a labour in our enfeebled and almost worn 

 out state, that nothing but the cheering hopes of 

 reaching the house, and affording relief to our 

 friends, could have enabled us to support. As 

 we advanced, we found to our mortification, that 

 the trip& de roche, hitherto our sole dependence, 

 began to be scarce, so that we could only collect 

 sufficient to make half a kettleful, which, with the 

 addition of a partridge each, that St. Germain 

 had killed, made us a tolerable meal ; during this 



