26 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



skin, with which I kept constantly chafing 

 the places which began to be affected. At 

 six P.M. we arrived at the fishing-huts 

 near Stony Island, and remained the night 

 there. The Canadians were not a little 

 surprised at seeing us, whom they had al- 

 ready given up for lost — nor less so at the 

 manner by which we had come — for they 

 all affirmed that the lake near them was 

 quite free from ice the day before. 



" December 10. — At an early hour we 

 quitted the huts, lashed on sledges as before, 

 with some little addition to our party; and 

 at three hours thirty minutes P.M. arrived 

 at the North- West Fort on Moose-Deer 

 Island, where I was received by Mr. Smith, 

 with whom I had been acquainted at the 

 Athabasca. He said he partly expected 

 me. The same evening I visited Messrs. 

 M'Vicar and M'Aulay at Hudson's Bay 

 Fort, when I found the reports concerning 

 our goods were but too true, there being in 

 reality but five packages for us. I also 

 was informed that two Esquimaux, Au- 

 gustus the chief, and Junius his servant, 



