260 TJiirty Tears 



but also hazardous in the highest degree ; for the 

 sides of the hills, as is usual throughout the barren 

 grounds, abounding in accumulations of large angular 

 stones, it often happened that the men fell into the 

 interstices with their loads on their backs, being de- 

 ceived by the smooth appearance of the drifted snow. 

 If any one had broken a limb here, his fate would 

 have been melancholy indeed ; we could neither have 

 remained with him, nor carried him on. We halted 

 at ten to gather tripe de roclie, but it was so frozen, 

 that we were quite benumbed with cold before a suffi- 

 ciency could be collected even for a scanty meal. On 

 proceeding, our men were somewhat cheered, by ob- 

 serving on the sandy summit of a hill, from whence 

 the snow had been blown, the summer track of a man ; 

 and afterwards by seeing several deer tracks on the 

 snow. About noon the weather cleared up a little, 

 and, to our great joy, we saw a herd of musk-oxen 

 grazing in a valley below us. The party instantly 

 baited, and the best hunters were sent out ; they ap- 

 proached the animals with the utmost caution, no less 

 than two hours being consumed before they got within 

 gun-shot. In the meantime we beheld their proceed- 

 ings with extreme anxiety, and many secret prayers 

 were, doubtless, offered up for their success. At 

 length they opened their fire, and we had the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing .me of the largest cows fall; another 



