226 BEVEEE HAEDSHIPS. Chap. XII. 



near Pemmican Eock, after a marcli of 19 or 20 

 geographical miles. We always speak of geo- 

 ' graphical miles with reference to our marches ; 

 six geographical are equal to seven English 

 miles. 



On the following day the old N.W. wind 

 sprang up with renewed vigour, and the ther- 

 mometer fell to - 48° ; the cold was therefore 

 intense. 



On the third day most of our dogs went lame 

 in consequence of sore feet; the intense cold 

 seems to be the principal, if not the only cause, 

 having hardened the surface-snow beyond what 

 their feet can endure. I was obliged to throw 

 off a part of the provisions ; still we could not 

 make more than 15 or 18 miles daily. We of 

 course walked, so that the dogs had only the re- 

 maining provisions and clothing to drag, yet 

 several of them repeatedly fell down in fits. 



For several days this severe weather conti- 

 nued, the mercury of my artificial horizon re- 

 maining frozen (its freezing-point is —39°); 

 and our rum, at first thick like treacle, required 

 thawing latterly, when the more fluid and 

 stronger part had been used. We travelled 

 each day until dusk, and then were occupied for 

 a couple of hours in building our snow-hut. The 

 four walls were run up until 5^ feet high, in- 



