50 BOWDOIN BOYS IN LABRADOR. 



Saturday Aug. I5th, the march back to the boat cache was 

 resumed. Towards night, as they approached the place, smoke 

 was seen rising from the ground, and fearing evil, the men broke 

 into a run during the last two miles. As Gary's journal puts it: 

 "We arrived at our camp to find boat and stores burnt and 

 the fire still smoking and spreading. Cole arrives first, and as 

 I come thrashing through the bushes he sits on a rock munch- 

 ing some burnt flour. He announces with an unsteady voice : 

 'Well, she's gone.' We say not much, nothing that indicates 

 poor courage, but go about to find what we can in the wreck, 

 and pack up for a tramp down river. In an hour we have 

 picked out everything useful, including my money, nails, thread 

 and damaged provisions, and are on the way down river hoping 

 to pass the rapids before dark, starting at 5." 



Their position was certainly disheartening. They were one 

 hundred and fifty miles from their nearest cache, and nearly 

 three hundred from the nearest settlement, already greatly 

 used up, needing rest and plenty of food ; in a country that for- 

 bade any extended tramping inland to cut off corners, on a 

 river in most places either too rough for a raft or with too slug- 

 gish a current to make rafting pay ; and above all, left with 

 a stock of food comprising one quart of good rice, brought 

 back with them, three quarts of mixed meal, burnt flour and 

 burnt rice, a little tea, one can of badly dried tongue, and one 

 can of baked beans that were really improved by the fire. Add 

 to this some three dozen matches and twenty-five cartridges, 

 blankets and what things they had on the tramp to the falls, 

 and the list of their outfit, with which to cover the three hun- 

 dred miles, is complete. There was no time to be wasted, and 

 that same night six miles were made before camping. The 

 next day the battle for life began. It was decided that any 

 game or other supplies found on the way should be used 

 liberally, while those with which they started were husbanded. 

 This day several trout were caught, line and hooks being part 

 of each man's outfit, and two square meals enjoyed, which 

 proved the last for a week. A raft was made that would not 

 float the men and baggage, and being somewhat discouraged 



