232 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



yet cross the stream before nightfall. In the middle of 

 the afternoon we found the boat drawn up at the mouth 

 of Heart Creek, where the old Indian hunter had left 

 it. It was a large heavily built sail-boat, capable of 

 carrying our whole outfit in one load, but unfortunately 

 the keel was deeply imbedded in the sand and there 

 securely frozen. The only way to free it was to chop it 

 out, and at this task as many hands were set as could 

 find room to work. Long pries were cut and vigorously 

 applied, but even with our united efforts we only 

 managed to get the boat loosened by nightfall. We 

 were obliged, therefore, to leave it until morning, and 

 seek a place to camp. 



During the night the wind, which had been blowing 

 pretty strongly for two days past, increased to a gale 

 from the north-west. This unwelcome guest did not 

 come by himself, but brought with him his friend the 

 snow-storm, and they two held high carnival all night, 

 vying with each other as to which should cause the 

 strange intruders in the grove the more discomfort. 

 The gale shrieked through the trees and threatened to 

 level our shelter, nor was he contented with this, but 

 also entered the camp and played pranks with our fire 

 and blankets. The more stealthy snow-storm, making 

 less noise than his blustering friend, before daylight 

 had filled the ravine with white drifts and almost 

 buried us. 



Such was our condition on the morning of the 14th. 

 As this was the ninth day from Churchill, our supply of 

 provisions was about exhausted, but we were now only 

 one day's march from York. After breakfast, despite 

 the condition of the weather, all hands proceeded to 



