248 CANADIAN WILDS. 



This message was to his family, but the Ma- 

 tane people sent a much longer one to the gov- 

 ernment, giving the facts, describing the hard- 

 ships these men had come through, and a spe- 

 cial train was sent down with the best surgeon 

 from Quebec. On the surgeon's arrival at Ma- 

 tane a consultation was held with the county 

 practitioner, when it was decided that the man 

 Joseph would have to lose two fingers on each 

 hand and Simon both feet. 



The amputation was successfully carried out 

 next day, and shortly after, when Comeau saw 

 both men well on to recovery, he started for his 

 home, not, however, by the way he had come, 

 but up to Quebec by the south shore and down 

 the north shore from Quebec, a distance of near- 

 ly TOO miles. The last hundred he made on 

 snowshoes. 



The Captain told us that the description of 

 this very venturesome trip he had heard from 

 Comeau's own brother as the elder one had de- 

 scribed it in the heart of his own family. He 

 had reached the ice pack, to the best of his judg- 

 ment, about fifteen miles from the land, and had 

 remained on his oars and hallowed once or twice 

 without receiving an answer. He suddenly be- 

 thought himself of the lantern. This he lit and 

 lashed to the blade of one of his oars, and 

 erected it aloft. Immediately a faint cry was 



