NORTHERN OCEAN 103 



Conreaquefe, who had it all under his care, had so embezzled 1770. 

 or otherways expended it, that only ten balls and about three ^ °^"^ "' 

 pounds of powder remained ; so that long before we arrived 

 at the Fort we were obliged to cut up an ice-chissel into 

 square lumps, as a substitute for ball. It is, however, rather 

 dangerous firing lumps of iron out of such slight barrels 

 as are brought to this part of the world for trade. These, 

 though light and handy, and of course well adapted for the 

 use of both English and Indians in long journies, and of 

 sufficient strength for leaden shot or ball, are not strong 

 enough for [57] this kind of shot; and strong fowling-pieces 

 would not only be too heavy for the laborious ways of hunting 

 in this country, but their bores being so much larger, would 

 require more than double the quantity of ammunition that 

 small ones do ; which, to Indians at least, must be an object 

 of no inconsiderable importance. 



I kept company with Matonabbee till the twentieth, at 20th. 

 which time the deer began to be so scarce that hardly a fresh 

 track could be seen ; and as we were then but a few days walk 

 from the Fort, he advised me to proceed on with all speed, while 

 he and his companions followed at leisure. Accordingly, on 

 the twenty-first, I set out post-haste, accompanied by one of 2i5t. 

 the home-guard (Southern) Tribe, and three Northern Indians. 

 That night we lay on the South side of Egg River ; but, long 

 before daybreak the next morning, the weather became so bad, 

 with a violent gale of wind from the North West, and such 

 a drift of snow, that we could not have a bit of fire : and 

 as no good woods were near to afford us shelter, we agreed 

 to proceed on our way : especially as the wind was on our 

 backs, and though the weather was bad near the surface, 

 we could frequently see the moon, and sometimes the stars, 

 to direct us in our course. In this situation we continued 

 walking the whole day, and it was not till after ten at 

 night that we could find the smallest tuft of woods to put up 

 in ; for though we well knew we must have passed by several 



