ARRIVAL AT THE COAST 69 



bent on making us pay for former benefits and enlivened us with 

 continued storms of wind and rain, which alternated to sleet and 

 snow. 



"Upon the whole, we had a remarkable time of it and were not 

 sorry to catch the first glimpse of the lake, which we reached on 

 the afternoon of the twentieth." 



My opinion of the whole country was that it was a continuous 

 muskeg with islands of spruce through it, and our trail led through 

 the islands. When we reached the lake we were all tired out and 

 immediately camped and settled down for the evening, but not to 

 sleep because at this time (late in September) the whole lake, as 

 far as we could see, was covered with wild fowl of every descrip- 

 tion; in fact, no water was to be seen, it was all water-fowl. This 

 was the condition of the lake the whole time we passed along it. 



We had gone through one series of difficulties only to meet 

 greater obstacles. I may say that I preferred walking to riding 

 as I was unused to it, but now, with a river to be crossed, I had 

 to mount my horse and, by good luck, I had a Mexican saddle with 

 a pommel in front, and when my horse got into difficulties I held 

 on to it. 



"The river, at our crossing place, was about thirty yards wide 

 and each rider, before making the ford, drew his knees up to his 

 chin, fondly hoping that in this position he would be enabled to 

 reach the other side comparatively dry, but, entering the middle 

 of the river and sinking deeper and deeper in the cold element 

 that hope was rapidly dispelled and the individual temperament 

 of each member of the party was pretty well shown. Ejaculations 

 and more than direful expletives were heard uttered in an 

 ascending scale and equally plaintive tones as the ice-cold water 

 first reached the boots, then filtered into the trouser pockets and 

 higher still in case of the most unlucky ones. This difficult 

 little prelude to the day's work having been gone through, we 

 dismantled, and, having emptied our boots and rid ourselves of 

 the surplus water, we resumed our way on foot for the double 

 reason of restoring circulation and of sparing our animals." 



Next day we came to another large creek, or river, where our 

 horses, losing bottom for a few yards, were obliged to swim. 



