182 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the southward to the N.W. Our Canadian 

 voyagers complained much of the cold, but 

 they were amused with their first view of 

 the sea, and particularly with the sight of 

 the seals that were swimming about near 

 the entrance of the river, but these sensa- 

 tions gave place to despondency before the 

 evening had elapsed. They were terrified 

 at the idea of a voyage through an icy sea 

 in bark canoes. They speculated on the 

 length of the journey, the roughness of the 

 waves, the uncertainty of provisions, the 

 exposure to cold where we could expect 

 no fuel, and the prospect of having to tra- 

 verse the barren grounds to get to some 

 establishment. The two interpreters ex- 

 pressed their apprehensions with the least 

 disguise, and again urgently applied to be 

 discharged ; but only one of the Canadians 

 made a similar request. Judging that the 

 constant occupation of their time as soon as 

 we were enabled to commence the voyage 

 would prevent them from conjuring up so 

 many causes of fear, and that familiarity 

 with the scenes on the coast would in a 



