THROUGH THE FOREST AND HOME AGAIN. 2438 
guide from Churchill. He was a very dark Indian, 
younger than Jimmie, and of much less noble appear- 
ance, and was known by the name of Charlie. He 
was said to be well fitted for the purpose, and we 
felt that a brother of our guide could not be a very 
poor man. Our party, including Arthur Omen, the 
driver from Churchill, who had determined to accom- 
pany us out of the country, was now complete. ‘Twelve 
days’ rations, consisting of bacon, flour, sugar and tea, 
were served out to each man, with a warning to make 
them last through the trip or suffer the consequences. 
The flour was then baked up into the more convenient 
form of cakes. Dog-fish was also provided, and all 
being loaded upon the three sleds and two toboggans, 
the second stage of our sledding journey was begun on 
Tuesday morning, the 28th of November. The dog-sleds 
were not the same as those we had used in traversing 
the hard driven snow of the plains, but were what are 
known as “flat sleds” or large toboggans, they being 
better suited to woodland travel. 
The condition of our party on leaving York was 
vastly different from what it had been on leaving 
Churchill The two hundred mile tramp, although 
crippling some of us and causing all plenty of exertion, 
had hardened our muscles so much that, with the ten 
days’ “lie up” on the bank of the Nelson River, and a 
four days rest at York, we were now in first-class 
walking trim, and started up the Hays River at a brisk 
pace. 
The first day’s march was upon the river ice, and our 
first camp was made on the bank, in two feet of snow, 
