138 LOST ON WINIPEG LAKE; 



the entrance to the Red River. Night came 

 on, and the dogs were exhausted with fatigue, 

 which obliged us to stop, though not before 

 one of them contrived to slip his head out of 

 the collar. It happened that we were near 

 some wood on the edge of the lake, but in 

 reaching it we sank in soft drift snow up to 

 the middle ; and it was a considerable time 

 before we could make our preparations for the 

 night, under the spreading branches of a pine 

 tree. We got but little rest from the small 

 fire that we were able to make, and from our 

 bad encampment. The next morning, I found 

 that the driver was greatly embarrassed in his 

 idea of our exact situation, and he led me 

 throughout the day from one point of wood to 

 another, over the ice, on the borders of the 

 lake, in a directly contrary way to that in 

 which we ought to have gone. We had no 

 food for our dogs, and on coming to our en- 

 campment for the night, the animals were 

 completely worn out with fatigue ; and what 

 added to our trials, was the loss of the flint, 

 which the man dropped in the snow, the first 

 time he attempted to strike the steel to kindle 

 a fire. After some difficulty we succeeded, 

 with a small gun-flint, which I found in my 

 pocket, and we bivouacked upon the snow, 



