96 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



with a spirit lamp we made hot tea and appeased 

 our sharp appetites with some remnants of boiled 

 venison. For three days the storm continued. On the 

 fourth it turned to snow and the temperature went 

 down to freezing rather inhospitable weather for the 

 10th of August. 



Next morning, the gale having sufficiently subsided, 

 camp was called about four o'clock, and we continued 

 on our way through the channel we had entered, and 

 along the west shore of the lake in open water until 8 

 a.m., when we again found ourselves hemmed in by 

 heavy floating ice, which in several places was measured 

 and found to be seven feet in thickness. To advance 

 here in the canoes was impossible, so a favorable spot 

 for landing was selected, at the base of the point where 

 the ice was hard ashore. 



Just as we were landing, a small band of deer was 

 seen feeding on a grassy plain not far away, and as our 

 supply of fresh venison was nearly gone, we made plans 

 for a hunt. It was arranged that my brother and I 

 should take up our positions in concealment on a low 

 neck of land between the shore and a small lake, and 

 that the men should so place themselves as to drive the 

 band within range of us. We managed to reach our 

 vantage ground unobserved, but one of the canoemen 

 in attempting to carry out his instructions awkwardly 

 exposed himself and alarmed the deer, causing them to 

 speedily scatter. Some of them, however, bounded past 

 within range of our rifles, and three were brought down, 

 which were sufficient to replenish the larder. 



Not far from the landing place was a high hill, so pro- 

 viding ourselves with field-glasses we set out for its 



