242 ACROSS THE ST. LAWRENCE 



My brother and Francis Labrie were suffering 

 very much from it, their faces and hands getting 

 frost-bitten, so that every now and then they had 

 to be rubbed to restore the circulation. When I 

 called a rest, they would drop down in the canoe 

 and want to sleep. It was with considerable 

 trouble that they were kept awake. 



So far we had dragged the two canoes in case of 

 meeting weak ice, but owing to the exhausted 

 condition of these two members of our party, it 

 was impossible to continue it, so we abandoned 

 mine, as being slightly heavier. We also left be- 

 hind, our two pairs of oars, reserving only one 

 paddle for each. Tying the rope of the steel hook 

 on each side of the remaining canoe, my brother 

 and Francis could help in the dragging; Alfred, 

 who held out better than his brother, helping me 

 at the bow. All through that day it was the same 

 weary drag, with an occasional few yards of open 

 water, and gradually the shore loomed up. I 

 had much trouble keeping my brother awake and 

 his hands from freezing. Alfred also showed 

 signs of exhaustion and his hands were getting 

 frost-bitten also. At 2.30 p.m. we drifted past 

 Cape Chatte about two miles distant. Inside, 

 along the shore, I could see a lane of open water. 

 I urged them all to make an effort for an hour to 

 reach this. I think it was the longest hour of 

 all, but we made it, and our canoe was afloat 

 once more. Except for a thin ice on the surface, 



