134 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 
My brother and I laid down our paddles, and with 
tin kettles applied ourselves vigorously to bailing out the 
water. Many times the great tumbling billows seemed 
as if they would surely roll over us, but our light cedars, 
though sometimes half-filled with water, were borne up 
on the crest of the waves. At length we neared the 
rocky shore toward which for several hours we had been 
struggling, but, to our dismay, only to find it skirted by 
a long line of rocks and shoals, upon which the full fury 
of the wild sea was breaking. What were we to do? 
Without a harbor we would be dashed to pieces upon the 
rocks—and it was impossible to retreat against the 
storm. On we were borne by the force of the gale, but, 
thanks to a kind Providence, just as the crisis appeared 
to have come, a way of escape was discerned. One 
rock could be seen standing out in advance of the others, 
and behind this we managed with a supreme effort to 
guide the canoes. Then in shallow water, with the force 
of the seas broken, we all sprang out, and with great 
exertion succeeded in landing the boats in safety. 
The country here was entirely barren and rocky, com- 
paratively level, and of a most dreary aspect, without a 
sign of vegetation. The storm continued for two days 
longer, during which time we were obliged to remain on 
shore. As our provisions were now about exhausted, 
attention was chiefly devoted to hunting, but all that 
could be found was a small duck and two gulls. The 
broken remains of an Eskimd kyack were found upon 
the shore, and these were carefully gathered up so that 
a kettle of water might be boiled and our gulls cooked 
for supper. 
On the morning of the 20th, the wind having fallen, 
camp was called at four o'clock and without breakfast 
