CROSSING THE NELSON. 927 
it to drift down past the lower end would mean that 
we would be carried with the current out to sea and be 
irrevocably lost. 
After carefully considering the situation, we concluded 
to portage across the island of ice and launch on the 
other side. Accordingly the boat was unloaded and 
piece by piece everything was carried safely across, but 
when we attempted to portage the boat it and we 
continually broke through the surface. We were there- 
fore obliged to cut a channel right through the island, 
the full width of the boat. After much labor this was 
accomplished, the boat hauled through, reloaded, and 
again pushed out into the flowing pack, which carried 
us, In spite of all our endeavors, far down toward the 
mouth of the river. 
At length we had succeeded in getting within thirty 
feet of the solid south-shore ice, but even then, when the 
shore seemed almost within reach, we were nipped in 
the floe and again carried helplessly downward, until it. 
seemed as if, after all, we were going to be carried out 
to sea. 
We used every effort to free the boat, but all of no 
avail. At last, however, civil war among the floes 
caused a split and brought deliverance. A few rapid 
strokes and our old craft bumped against the solid ice. 
The bowman, Francois, quick as a flash, sprang out 
with the end of the tow-line, while the rushing ice 
again caught the boat and bore it downward. Francois 
held on to the tow-line with all his might, but the tug- 
of-war was going against him; he yielded, fell, and 
for a short distance was dragged over the broken hum- 
mocks of ice, but bracing his feet against one of these, he 
