ACEOgS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA 



about sunset made camp on the south bank of a stream known 

 as Sam's Creek, in a lovely snow-laden evergreen forest — an 

 ideal Canadian winter woodland picture. From this beauti- 

 ful but chilling scene our tramp was continued next morning 

 at daylight. The low shore of the ISTelson was again reached 

 and followed until, about noon, a decided change in the char- 

 acter of the land was observed. A boulder clay bank com- 

 menced to make its appearance, and this as we advanced 

 rapidly reached an elevation of twenty-five or thirty feet, and 

 as we proceeded up the river, became higher and more thickly 

 wooded. The change was a great relief from the level, tree- 

 less coast. 



We were now well within the mouth of the great Nelson 

 Kiver, and could already, through the rising vapor, dimly 

 see the outline of the opposite shore. 



Considerable ice was coming down the river, and on this 

 account we felt some anxiety as to crossing ; but we were now 

 within a few miles of the boat of which we had been in- 

 formed, and it seemed possible that we might yet cross the 

 stream before nightfall. In the middle of the afternoon we 

 foimd the boat drawn up at the mouth of Heart Creek, where 

 the old Indian hunter had left it. It was a large heavily 

 built sailboat, capable of carrying our whole outfit in one 

 load, but unfortunately the keel was deeply imbedded in the 

 sand and there securely frozen. The only way to free it was 

 to chop it out, and at this task as many hands were set as 

 could find room to work. Long pries were cut and vigor- 

 ously applied, but even with our united efforts we only 

 managed to get the boat loosened by nightfall. We were 

 obliged, therefore, to leave it until morning, and seek a 

 place to camp. 



During the night the wind, which had been blowing pretty 

 strongly for two days past, increased to a gale from the 

 north-west. This unwelcome guest did not come by himself, 

 but brought with him his friend the snowstorm, and they 



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