110 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



River runs. Our men arrived soon after 

 us, and in the evening Mr. Wentzel and 

 his party, with the canoes in excellent con- 

 dition. They were much jaded by their 

 fatiguing journey, and several were lame 

 from swellings of the lower extremities. 

 The ice on the lake was still six or seven 

 feet thick, and there was no appearance of 

 its decay except near the edges ; and as it 

 was evident that, by remaining here until it 

 should be removed, we might lose every 

 prospect of success in our undertaking, I 

 determined on dragging our stores along its 

 surface, until we should come to a part of 

 the river where we could embark; and 

 directions were given this evening for each 

 man to prepare a train for the conveyance 

 of his portion of the stores. I may remark 

 here, as a proof of the strong effect of radi- 

 ation from the earth in melting the ice, that 

 the largest holes in the ice were always 

 formed at the base of the high and steep 

 cliffs, which abound on the borders of this 

 lake. 



We found Akaitcho and the hunters 



