OF THE POLAR SEA. 



29 



utmost speed, encouraged by the hope, 

 which our reckoning had led us to form, 

 of seeing Point Lake in the evening, but we 

 were obliged to encamp without gaining a 

 view of it. We had not seen either deer or 

 their tracks through the day, and this cir- 

 cumstance, joined to the disappointment of 

 not discovering the lake, rendered our 

 voyagers very desponding, and the meagre 

 supper of tripe de roche was little calculated 

 to elevate their spirits. They now threat- 

 ened to throw away their bundles and quit 

 us, which rash act they would probably 

 have committed, if they had known what 

 track to pursue. 



September 21. — We set out at seven this 

 morning in dark foggy weather, and changed 

 our course two points to the westward. 

 The party were very feeble, and the men 

 much dispirited; we made slow progress, 

 having to march over a hilly and very 

 rugged country. 



Just before noon the sun beamed through 

 the haze for the first time for six days, and 

 we obtained an observation in latitude 65° 



