372 Thirty Years 



ment he could better it, but that by all returning to 

 the Fort we might, perhaps, have better success in 

 hunting ; with this view I despatched Belanger, much 

 against his inclination, and told him to return as 

 quick as possible to a place about four miles fur- 

 ther on, where we intended to fish, and to await his 

 arrival. The men were so weak this day that I could 

 get neither of them to move from the encampment ; 

 and it was only necessity that compelled them to cut 

 wood for fuel, in performing which operation Beau- 

 parlant's face became so dreadfully swelled that he 

 could scarcely see ; I myself lost my temper on the 

 most trivial circumstances, and was become very peev- 

 ish ; the day was fine but o&ld, with a freezing north- 

 east wind. We had nothing to eat. 



October 15. — The night was calm and clear, but 

 it was not before two in the afternoon that we set out ; 

 and the one was so weak, and the other so full of com- 

 plaints, that we did not get more than three-quarters 

 of a mile from our last encampment, before we were 

 obliged to put up ; but in tin's distance we were for- 

 tunate enough to kill a partridge, the bones of which 

 were eaten, and the remainder reserved for baits to 

 fish with. We were fortunate, however, in collecting 

 Sufficient tripe deroclie to make a meal ; and 1 now 

 anxiously awaited Belanger's return, to know wlmt 

 9 to take I was now so much reduced, that my 



