298 Thirty Years 
The party then ‘moved on ; Vaillant’s blanket and 
other necessaries were left in the track, at the request 
of the Canadians, without any hope, however, of his 
being able to reach them. After marching until dusk 
without seeing a favorable place for encamping, night 
compelled us to take shelter under the lee of a hill, 
amongst. some willows, with which, after many at- 
tempts, we at length made a fire. It was not sufti- 
cient, however, to warm the whole party, much less to 
thaw our shoes ; and the weather not permitting the 
gathering of tripe de roche, we had nothing to cook. 
The painful retrospection of the melancholy events 
of the day banished sleep, and we shuddered as we con- 
templated the dreadful effects of this bitterly cold night 
on our two companions, if still living. Some faint 
hopes were entertained of Crédit’s surviving the storm, 
as he was provided with a good blanket, and had 
leather to eat. 
The weather was mild next morning. We left the 
encampment at nine, and a little before noon came to 
a pretty extensive thicket of small willows, near which 
there appeared a supply of tripe de roche on the face 
of the rocks. At this place Dr. Richardson and Mr. ~ 
Hood determined to remain, with John Hepburn, who 
volunteered to stop with them. The tent was securely 
~ pitched, a few willows collected, and the ammunition 
and all other articles were deposited, except each man’s © 
