2SS Thirty Years 



turned back, but had neither seen Junius nor Mr. 

 Back. Of the former he had seen no traces, but he 

 had followed the tracks of Mr. Back's party for a con- 

 siderable distance, until the hardness of the ground 

 rendered them imperceptible. Junius was well 

 equipped with ammunition, blankets, knives, a kettle, 

 and other necessaries ; and it was the opinion of Au- 

 gustus, that when he found he could not rejoin the 

 party, he would endeavor to gain the woods on the 

 west end of Point Lake, and follow the river until he 

 fell in with the Esquimaux, who frequent its mouth. 

 The Indians too, with whom we have since conversed 

 upon this subject, are confident that he would be able 

 to subsist himself during the winter. Credit, on his 

 hunting excursion to-day, found a cap, which our 

 people, recognized to belong to one of the hunters who 

 had left us in the spring. This circumstance produced 

 tlic conviction of our being on the banks of the Cop- 

 per-Mine Biver, which all the assertions of the officers 

 had hitherto failed to do with some of the party ; and 

 it had the happy effect of reviving their spirits con- 

 siderably. We consumed the last of our deer's meat 

 this evening at supper. 



Next morning the men went out, in search of dry 

 willows, and collected eight large fagots, with which 

 they formed a more buoyanl rafl than the former, but 

 the wind being siill adverse and Btrong, they delayed 



