320 . TREATMENT OP DOGS. Chap. XVI. 



days before that he shot a seal, which afforded 

 two sumptuous meals for all on board. 



The time having elapsed during which Young 

 expected to remain absent, and the difficulties of 

 the transit from the western sea having become 

 greatly increased, I set off early on the 25th June 

 with my four men, intending to visit Pemmican 

 Rock ; but failing to come across him there, I re- 

 solved to carry on provisions as far as Four River 

 Point, in the hope of meeting with him, and of fa- 

 cilitating his return. To our surprise the water 

 had all drained off the frozen surface of the Long 

 Lake, and it therefore afforded excellent travel- 

 ling. We found the poor dogs lying quietly be- 

 side our sledges ; they had attacked the pemmican, 

 and devoured a small quantity which was not 

 secured in tin, also some blubber, some leather 

 straps, and a gull that I had shot for a speci- 

 men ; but they had not apparently relished the 

 biscuit. Poor dogs ! they have a hard life of it 

 in these regions. Even Petersen, who is gene- 

 rally kind and humane, seems to fancy they must 

 have little or no feeling : one of his theories is, 

 that you may knock an Esquimaux dog about 

 the head with any article, however heavy, with 

 perfect impunity to the brutes. One of us up- 

 braided him the other day because he broke his 

 whip-handle over the head of a dog. " That 



