BREAKING UP OP THE ICE. 409 



up into logs of convenient size, and rolled into a pile, on the top of which, 

 with the aid of twigs, a fire was kindled. There were about fifteen of 

 us, some hunters, others trappers, and all more or less accustomed to live 

 in the woods. At night, when all had returned from their hunting- 

 grounds, some successful and others empty-handed, they presented a pic- 

 ture in the strong glare of the huge fire that illuminated the forest, which 

 it might prove interesting to you to see, were it copied by a bold hand on 

 canvass. Over a space of thirty yards or more, the snow was scraped 

 away, and piled up into a circular wall, which protected us from the cold 

 blast. Our cooking utensils formed no mean display, and before a week 

 had elapsed, venison, turkeys, and racoons hung on the branches in pro- 

 fusion. Fish, too, and that of excellent quality, often graced our board, 

 having been obtained by breaking holes in the ice of the lakes. It was 

 observed that the opossums issued at night from holes in the banks of the 

 river, to which they returned about day-break ; and having thus dis- 

 covered their retreat, we captured many of them by means of snares. 



At the end of a fortnight our bread failed, and two of the party were 

 directed to proceed across the bend, towards a village on the western 

 bank of the Mississippi, in quest of that commodity ; for although we 

 had a kind of substitute for it in the dry white flesh of the breast of the 

 wild turkey, bread is bread after all, and more indispensable to civilized 

 man than any other article of food. The expedition left the camp early 

 one morning ; one of the party boasted much of his knowledge of woods, 

 while the other said nothing, but followed. They walked on all day, and 

 returned next morning to the camp with empty wallets. The next at- 

 tempt, however, succeeded, and they brought on a sledge a barrel of flour 

 and some potatoes. After a while, we were joined by many Indians, the 

 observation of whose manners afforded us much amusement. 



Six weeks were spent in Tawapatee Bottom. The waters had kept 

 continually sinking, and our boat lay on her side high and dry. On both 

 sides of the stream, the ice had broken into heaps, forming huge walls. 

 Our pilot visited the river daily, to see what prospect there might be of 

 a change. One night, while, excepting himself, all were sound asleep, he 

 suddenly roused us with loud cries of " the ice is breaking ! get up, get 

 up, down to the boat lads, bring out your axes, hurry on, or we may lose 

 her, here let us have a torch !" Starting up, as if we had been attacked 

 by a band of savages, we ran pell-mell to the bank. The ice was indeed 

 breaking up ; it split with reports like those of heavy artillery, and as the 



