OF THE POLAR SEA. 



3 



snow, the margins of the lakes were in- 

 crusted with ice, and the swamps over which 

 we had to pass were entirely frozen ; but the 

 ice not being sufficiently strong to bear us, 

 we frequently plunged knee-deep in water. 

 Those who carried the canoes were re- 

 peatedly blown down by the violence of the 

 wind, and they often fell, from making an 

 insecure step on a slippery stone ; on one 

 of these occasions, the largest canoe was so 

 much broken as to be rendered utterly un- 

 serviceable. This we felt was a serious 

 disaster, as the remaining canoe having 

 through mistake been made too small, it 

 was doubtful whether it would be sufficient 

 to carry us across the river. Indeed we 

 had found it necessary, in crossing Hood's 

 River, to lash the two canoes together. As 

 there was some suspicion that Benoit, who 

 carried the canoe, had broken it intention- 

 ally, he having on a former occasion been 

 overheard by some of the men to say, that 

 he would do so when he got it in charge, 

 we closely examined him on the point ; he 

 roundly denied having used the expressions 



