OF THE POLAR SEA. 



103 



at two P.M. being 82 J°. At Marten Lake 

 we joined the canoe party, and encamped 

 with them. We had the mortification of 

 learning from our hunters that the meat 

 they had put en cache here, had been de- 

 stroyed by the wolverenes, and we had in 

 consequence to furnish the supper from 

 our scanty stock of dried meat. The wind 

 changed from S.E. to N.E. in the evening, 

 and the weather became very cold, the ther- 

 mometer being at 43° at nine P.M. The 

 few dwarf birches we could collect afforded 

 fire insufficient to keep us warm, and we 

 retired under the covering of our blankets 

 as soon as the supper had been despatched. 

 The N.E. breeze rendered the night so ex- 

 tremely cold, that we procured but little 

 sleep, having neither fire nor shelter ; for 

 though we carried our tents, we had been 

 forced to leave the tent-poles, which we 

 could not now replace ; we therefore gladly 

 recommenced the journey at five in the 

 morning, and travelled through the remain- 

 ing part of the lake on the ice. Its surface 

 being quite smooth, the canoes were dragged 



