A STARVING PARTY. 193 



his whole left side was deprived o feeling, in consequence of exposure to too great 

 heat. He did not perfectly recover the sensation of that side until the following 

 summer. I cannot describe what every one felt at beholding the skeleton which the 

 doctor's debilitated frame exhibited when he stripped ; the Canadians simultaneously 

 exclaimed, ( All ! que nous sommes maigres!' I shall best explain his state and that 

 of the party by the following extract from his journal : 



" ' It may be worthy of remark that I should have had little hesitation in any 

 former period of my life at plunging into water even below 38 Fahrenheit; but at 

 this time I was reduced almost to skin and bone, and, like the rest of the party, suf- 

 fered from degrees of cold that would have been disregarded in health and vigour. 

 During the whole of our march we experienced that no quantity of clothing would 

 keep us warm whilst we fasted ; but on those occasions on which we were enabled to 

 go to bed with full stomachs we passed the night in a warm and comfortable manner/"" 

 Franklin adds : " In following the detail of our friend's narrow escape, I have omitted 

 to mention that when he was about to step into the water he put his foot on a 

 dagger, which cut him to the bone; but this misfortune could not stop him from 

 attempting the execution of his generous undertaking." 



But although they had crossed the river they had much before them, and a fearful 

 amount of despondency prevailed. Franklin wishing one day to reach one of his men 

 three-quarters of a mile distant, spent three hours in a vain attempt to wade through 

 the snow. Hood was reduced to a perfect skeleton, Richardson was lame as well as 

 exhausted, and even Back, the energetic and unconquerable, had to use a stick. The 

 voyageurs were somewhat stronger, but seem to have given up all hope; Hepburn 

 alone seems to have remained cheerful and resigned, and he was indefatigable in col- 

 lecting tripe de roche. On October 4th it was determined that Franklin, with eight of 

 his party, should push forward, and endeavour to send back assistance. Four of these 

 broke down almost immediately, and endeavoured to return to the last camp; only one 

 arrived; the other three were no more heard of. Franklin succeeded in reaching Fort 

 Enterprise, where they found neither inhabitants nor supplies. On the way they had 

 literally eaten a part of their boots, and at the house were only too glad to boil bones 

 and pieces of skin for their sustenance. It is almost impossible to give the reader in 

 few words a fair idea of the terrible condition in which they were. Franklin determined 

 to push forward to the next fort, but found that he had made but four miles in the first 

 six hours' travel, and he, therefore, reluctantly returned to the house, letting two of the 

 Canadians proceed. Eighteen days elapsed, and then Dr. Richardson and Hepburn arrived. 

 Mr. Hood had, meantime, been shot by Michel, one of their Indians, who it was believed 

 had also been the murderer of the three exhausted men who had been missing. He had 

 remained in strong and vigorous condition when the rest were utterly exhausted. Dr. 

 Richardson, being thoroughly convinced of these facts, killed Michel with a pistol-shot 

 shortly afterwards. "The emaciated countenances of the doctor and Hepburn" gave 

 evidence of their debilitated state. "The doctor/' says Franklin, "particularly remarked 

 the sepulchral tones of our voices, which he requested of us to make more cheerful, if 

 possible, unconscious that his own partook of the same key." Hepburn had shot a 

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