16 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



for the hunters to smoke. Nevertheless 

 the distance we completed was but trifling, 

 and at night we halted near a lake, the men 

 being tired, and much bruised from con- 

 stantly falling amongst thick broken wood 

 and loose stones concealed under the snow. 

 The night was blowing and hazy with snow. 



" On the 30th we set out with the 

 expectation of gaining the Slave Lake in 

 the evening ; but our progress was again 

 impeded by the same causes as before, so 

 that the whole day was spent in forcing our 

 way through thick woods and over snow- 

 covered swamps. We had to walk over 

 pointed and loose rocks, which, sliding from 

 under our feet, made our path dangerous, 

 and often threw us down several feet on 

 sharp-edged stones lying beneath the snow. 

 Once we had to climb a towering, and 

 almost perpendicular rock, which not only 

 detained us, but was the cause of great 

 anxiety for the safety of the women, who, 

 being heavily laden with furs, and one of 

 them with a child at her back, could not 

 exert themselves with the activity which 



