FOET CHUKCHILL 



most part the walls were still solid, though from between 

 their great blocks of granite the mortar was crumbling. The 

 guns, spiked and dismounted, were still to be seen lying about 

 on the ramparts and among the fallen masonry. In the 

 bastions, all of which were still standing, were to be seen the 

 remains of wells and magazines, and in the centre of the 

 fort stood the walls of the old building in which Hearne and 

 his men had lived. The charred ends of roof-beams were 

 still attached to its walls, where, undecayed, they had rested 

 for the past one hundred and eleven years. 



With a continuous low temperature, such as now existed 

 at Churchill, the ice in the river, much to our satisfaction, 

 began to set fast. This was necessary to enable us to con- 

 tinue the journey. On Saturday, November 4th, the ther- 

 mometer registered 14^/2 deg. below zero (Fahr.), and with 

 that temperature the movement of floating ice ceased and the 

 river was bridged from shore to shore. Being anxious to get 

 away as early as possible, arrangements were made with the 

 Company's agent for a start for York Factory on Monday 

 morning. The assistance of one dog-team, with driver and 

 guide, was with some difficulty secured, but three other 

 teams were to accompany us a great part of the way, viz., to 

 Stony River, where in the month of September the Com- 

 pany's servants had been obliged to abandon a boatload of 

 supplies because of severe weather, the month in which we 

 had been canoeing on the coast 500 miles farther north. 



A bill of necessary supplies was prepared, and these were 

 weighed out and put into sacks. Men and teams were sent 

 off to obtain a supply of dog-meat — an indispensable com- 

 modity — ^from a shanty on the south side of the river. When 

 they reached the place they found it in possession of five polar 

 bears — three large ones and two cubs. Along with the dog- 

 meat were brought back the skins of one old bear and the two 

 cubs. During Sunday the thermometer fell to 21 deg. below 

 zero, making the river-ice strong and perfectly safe. 



201 



