232 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADY 
yet cross the stream before nightfall. In the middle of 
the afternoon we found the boat drawn up at the mouth 
of Heart Creek, where the old Indian hunter had left 
it. It was a large heavily built sail-boat, 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 vigorously 
apphed, 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 
snow-storm, and they two held high carnival all night, 
vying with each other as to which should cause the 
strange intruders in the grove the more discomfort. 
The gale shrieked through the trees and threatened to 
level our shelter, nor was he contented with this, but 
also entered the ¢amp and played pranks with our fire 
and blankets. The more stealthy snow-storm, making 
less noise than his blustering friend, before daylight 
had filled the ravine with white drifts and almost 
buried us. 
Such was our condition on the morning of the 14th. 
As this was the ninth day from Churchill, our supply of 
provisions was about exhausted, but we were now only 
one day’s march from York. After breakfast, despite 
the condition of the weather, all hands proceeded to 
