212 The Ottawa Naturalist. 



death of about one half of the entire Indian population from 

 starvation and exposure. For this and other reasons, it was 

 thought advisable to leave Fort Chimo, and to pass the winter 

 at North-west River post at the head of Hamilton Inlet ; and 

 to do so we took passage on the H. B. Go's steamship 

 "Erik" to Rigolet on Hamilton Inlet. From Rigolet the sup- 

 plies were sent in a small schooner to North-west River ; and 

 from there the men were dispatched with the canoes up the 

 Hamilton River, with instructions to go on as far as possible 

 before the river set fast ; they ascended about 1 30 miles before 

 being stopped by ice. In January an attempt was made to send 

 provisions inland up the Hamilton River, but after ascending it 

 70 miles, the work was abandoned owing to the impassable 

 nature of the ice in the rapids above. In the beginning of March 

 the party, reinforced by a number of natives, again started in- 

 land, and this time succeeded in passing the rough ice, which in 

 the interval had been filled in and levelled with snow. From the 

 beginning of March to the end of May, we were engaged daily 

 hauling on sleds loads of provisions and outfit for the coming 

 summer's work. Finding that the work of the extra men did 

 not assist materially they were soon discharged, and the work of 

 moving five months' outfit devolved upon our party of six. To 

 do this it was necessary to make at least three loads and often 

 four, so that the same ground was passed over from five to seven 

 times, adding great monotony to the heavy work. In this man- 

 ner we proceeded inland, and when stopped by the break-up 

 of winter, on the 20th May, we had reached a place near the 

 Grand Falls, or 250 miles inland from the mouth of the river. 

 During the entire time while thus engaged, we lived on. a diet 

 compound exclusively of rusty pork and flour, there being no 

 chance to secure game or fish in the river valley at that season 

 of the year ; and the advent of spring, bringing with it ducks 

 and geese, and the opening of the rivers and the lakes, so that 

 we could obtain an unlimited supply of fish, was heartily wel- 

 comed. The Hamilton River, like the Koksoak and all the 



