CHAPTER XVI. 

 LIFE OB DEATH? 



After the great five days' storm, which lasted until the 

 4th of October, the whole country was buried in snow, and 

 every possibility of finding even a little moss for fuel was 

 excluded. Winter indeed had overtaken us. Ice was form- 

 ing all along the shore of the bay, and it was evident that 

 within a very few days travel by canoe must be at an end. 



On the above date, though light snow continued to fall, the 

 wind had gone down sufficiently to admit of launching the 

 canoes after a long portage out to meet the tide. In spite of 

 the most vigorous exertion, all we were able to make during 

 the day was ten miles, and that through a chilling spray 

 which froze upon us and encased canoes and men in an armor 

 of ice. We had great difficulty in getting ashore at night, 

 having again to portage a long distance over the low-tide 

 boulder flats. 



On the following morning the waters of the bay were out 

 of sight, and it was not until about noon, when the tide flowed 

 in, that we were able to float the canoes. Even then we were 

 so obstructed by the new ice and a strong head-wind, that we 

 were not able to make more than a mile or two before being 

 again forced to struggle to the shore. At this rate we would 

 be a long time in reaching Churchill. We had now been 

 more than three weeks on the coast, and were still at least 

 two hundred and fifty miles from our haven. 



Some different mode of travel must be adopted or we 

 should never get in. The shore ice was fonning rapidly and 

 might now block us at any time. We had not more than 



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