378 sie Years 
proceed towards Reindeer Lake, but this proposal’ met 
with a direct refusal. Belanger stated his inability-to 
move, and St. Germain used similar language ; add- 
ing, for the first time, that he did not know the route, 
and that it was of no use to go in the direction I-men- 
tioned, which was the one agreed upon between the 
Commander and myself, I then insisted that we 
should go by the known route, and join the Com- 
mander, but they would not hear of it ; they would 
remain where they were until they had regained their 
strength ; they said I wanted to expose them again to 
death (faire perir).. In vain did I use every argu- 
ment to the contrary, for they were equally heedless to 
-all. Thus situated, I was compelled to remain, and 
from this time to the 25th, we employed ourselves in 
looking’ about for the remnants of the deer and pieces 
of skin, which even the wolves had left; and by 
pounding the bones, we were enabled to make a sort of | 
soup, which strengthened us‘ greatly, though each still 
complained of weakness. It was not without the 
greatest difficulty that I could restrain the men from 
eating every scrap they found, though they were weli 
aware of the necessity there was of being economical 
in our present situation, and to save whatever they 
could for our journey ; yet they could not resist the 
temptation, and.directly my back was turned they 
seldom failed to snatch at the nearest piece to 
