184 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



My brother and I laid down our paddles, and with 

 tin kettles applied ourselves vigorously to bailing out the 

 water. Many times the great tumbling billows seemed 

 as if they would surely roll over us, but our light cedars, 

 though sometimes half-filled with water, were borne up 

 on the crest of the waves. At length we neared the 

 rocky shore toward which for several hours we had been 

 struggling, but, to our dismay, only to find it skirted by 

 a long line of rocks and shoals, upon which the full fury 

 of the wild sea was breaking. What were we to do ? 

 Without a harbor we would be dashed to pieces upon the 

 rocks and it was impossible to retreat against the 

 storm. On we were borne by the force of the gale, but, 

 thanks to a kind Providence, just as the crisis appeared 

 to have come, a way of escape was discerned. One 

 rock could be seen standing out in advance of the others, 

 and behind this we managed with a supreme effort to 

 guide the canoes. Then in shallow water, with the force 

 of the seas broken, we all sprang out, and with great 

 exertion succeeded in landing the boats in safety. 



The country here was entirely barren and rock}^ com- 

 paratively level, and of a most dreary aspect, without a 

 sign of vegetation. The storm continued for two days 

 longer, during which time we were obliged to remain on 

 shore. As our provisions were now about exhausted, 

 attention was chiefly devoted to hunting, but all that 

 could be found was a small duck and two gulls. The 

 broken remains of an Eskimo kyack were found upon 

 the shore, and these were carefully gathered up so that 

 a kettle of water might be boiled and our gulls cooked 

 for supper. 



On the morning of the 20th, the wind having fallen, 

 camp was called at four o'clock and without breakfast 



