220 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADZ: 
was provided with a pair of snowshoes. As one dog- 
team was unable to draw all the freight, the men were 
obliged to haul their own dunnage, and for this purpose 
three flat sleds or toboggans were procured and loaded 
with sixty or seventy pounds each. 
Thus provision was made for the transport of all 
necessary supplies, but what was to be done with 
Michel? Mr. Matheson kindly assisted us out of the 
diticulty by offering to take the crippled Indian on one 
of his sleds. Thus arrangements were completed, and, 
with nine days’ provisions, we bade our kind friends 
farewell, and early on the morning of the date men- 
tioned marched from the Fort in single file, forming into 
a long serpentine train, winding our way to the south- 
ward across the broad frozen river. As we departed 
farewell salutes were waved from the doorway of the 
little mission-house, and we felt that with them were 
watted the most sincere and hearty good wishes. 
At the outset, though we had greatly improved phy- 
sically during the stay at Churchill, we were still far 
from being strong, and it was thought best not to 
attempt forced marches at the outset. The wisdom of 
this resolve was clearly proven before the first day's 
tramp was ended. That afternoon one of my knees gave 
out, and soon became so badly erippled that within an 
hour or so every step caused me excruciating pain, and 
it was with the greatest effort I managed to hobble 
along after the train until evening. We travelled about 
twenty-one miles during the day, on an easterly course, 
across open plains and snow-covered lakes. There was 
little timber on the route until we reached the Eastern 
