24 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



" December 7. — I quitted Fort Provi- 

 dence, being accompanied by Mr. Wentzel, 

 Beauparlant, and two other Canadians, pro- 

 vided with dogs and sledges. We proceeded 

 along the borders of the lake, occasionally 

 crossing deep bays, and at dusk encamped 

 at the Gros Cap, having proceeded twenty- 

 five miles. 



" December 8. — We set out on the lake 

 with an excessively cold north-west wind, 

 and were frequently interrupted by large 

 pieces of ice which had been thrown up by 

 the violence of the waves during the pro- 

 gress of congelation, and at dusk we en- 

 camped on the Rein-Deer Islands. 



" The night was fine, with a faint Aurora 

 Borealis. Next day the wind was so keen, 

 that the men proposed conveying me in a 

 sledge that I might be the less exposed, to 

 which, after some hesitation, I consented. 

 Accordingly a rein-deer skin and a blanket 

 were laid along the sledge, and in these I 

 was wrapped tight up to the chin, and 

 lashed to the vehicle, just leaving sufficient 

 play for my head to perceive when I was 



