310 Thirty Years 



little snow on the ground, and we were surrounded by 

 vast herds of reindeer. Now there were but few 

 recent tracks of these animals, and the snow was up- 

 wards of two feet deep. Winter Eiver was then open, 

 now it was frozen two feet thick. 



When I arose the following morning, my body and 

 limbs were so swollen that I was unable to walk more 

 than a few yards. Adam was in a still worse condi- 

 tion, being absolutely incapable 01 rising without as- 

 sistance. My other companions fortunately experienced 

 this inconvenience in a less degree, and went to col- 

 lect bones, and some tripe de rocJie, which supplied 

 us with two meals. The bones were quite acrid, and 

 the soup extracted from them excoriated the mouth 

 if taken alone, but it was somewhat milder when 

 boiled with tripe de roche, and we even thought the 

 mixture palatable, with the addition of salt, of which 

 a cask had been fortunately left here in the spring. 

 Augustus to-day set two fishing-lines below the rapid. 

 On his way thither he saw- two deer, but had not 

 Qgth to follow them. 



On the loth the wind blew violently from south- 

 east, and the snow drifted bo much, that the party 

 mflned to the house. In the afternoon of the 

 following day Belanger arrived with a note from Mr. 

 Back, stating that he had Been do trace of the tndians, 

 and desiring further instructions as to the course he 



