52 Thirty Years 



the provisions were getting short, I could not, there- 

 fore, with propriety, check the progress by interrupt- 

 ing the party ; and, indeed, it appeared to me less 

 necessary, as L understood the river had been carefully 

 surveyed. In the afternoon, we had to resume the in- 

 cumbrance of the snow-shoes, and to pass over a rug- 

 ged part where the ice had been piled over a collection 

 of stones. The tracks of animals were very abundant 

 on the river, particularly near the remains of an old 

 establishment, called the Lower Nippeween. 



So much snow had fallen on the night of the 24th, 

 that the track we intended to follow was completely 

 covered, and our march to-day was very fatiguing. 

 We passed the remains of two red-deer, lying at the 

 basis of perpendicular cliffs, from the summits of which 

 they had, probably, been forced by the wolves. These 

 voracious animals, who are inferior in speed to the 

 moose and red-deer, are said frequently to have re- 

 course to this expedient in places where extensive 

 plains are bounded by precipitous cliffs. Whilst the 

 deer are quietly grazing, the wolves assemble in great 

 numbers, and, forming a crescent, creep slowly towards 

 the herd so as not to alarm them much at first, but 

 when they perceive that they have fairly hemmed in 

 the unsuspecting creatures, and cut off their retreat 



across the plain, they move more quickly, and with 



hideous yells terrify their prey and urge them to flight 



