50 Thirty Years 
to hunt in a certain quarter ; but he looked at the 
jaunt with indifference, and calculated on meeting 
them in six or seven days, for which time only he had 
provision. Few persons in this country suffer more 
from want of food than those occasionally do who are 
employed on this service. They.are furnished with a 
sufficiency of provision to serve until they reach the 
part where the Indians are expected to be; but it 
frequently occurs that, on their arrival at the spot, 
they have gone elsewhere, and that a recent fall of 
snow has hidden their track, in which case the voyagers 
have to wander about in search of them ; and it often 
happens, when they succeed in finding the Indians, 
that they are unprovided with meat. Mr. Isbester 
had been placed in this distressing situation only a 
few weeks ago, and passed four days without either 
-himself or his dogs tasting food. At length, when he 
had determined on killing one of the dogs to satisfy his 
hunger, he happily met with a beaten track, which 
led him to some Indian lodges, where he obtained a 
supply of food. 
The morning of the 21st was cold, but pleasant for 
traveling. We left Mr. Isbester and his companion, 
and crossed the peninsula of Musquito Point, to avoid 
a detour of several miles which the river makes. 
Though we put up at an early hour, we gained eleven 
miles this day. Our encampment was at the lower 
