1G8 ON THE FBOISTIEE. 



the storm, and they had hid themselves in sheltered places 

 perhaps crossed the range of mountains and migrated to 

 some lower-lying valleys ; and all but three of our animals 

 were missing. 



Except on snow shoes, there was no possibility of our 

 getting immediately out of the valley. To make and start 

 out on them, or, after waiting awhile for the snow to settle, 

 to try and get away with our three remaining animals, would 

 be an abandonment, and consequently total loss, of the 

 remainder of our stock and outfit, which would not only be 

 a great pecuniary sacrifice, but tantamount to a postpone- 

 ment, sine die, of the further prosecution of the enterprise 

 we were engaged in, since we were several hundred miles 

 from where we could replace equipment necessary thereto, 

 and which in such case we should lose. 



Such a move was only to be contemplated as a last 

 alternative. With a continuation of the most favourable 

 weather it would be at least a month, perhaps two, before 

 we could expect to get our waggons out of the valley, even 

 should we make sleigh runners to put them on to cross the 

 snow with. To kill and live upon some of our animals was, 

 if possible, to be avoided, as so doing would cripple our 

 means of transport. But the great fact stared us in the 

 face we had only about four days' rations of flour left, and 

 not much more of anything else, except a sack of old corn 

 (maize) for our animals. Hence something had to be done, 

 and that soon. 



It was at last decided to divide the party. Two would 

 remain, and the other two take the animals and try and 

 cross the mountains by the Mosca Pass, strike the Rio 



