OF THE POLAR SEA. S3 



cussion respecting the canoe had occasioned. 

 I accidentally passed the body of the men, 

 and followed the tracks of two persons who 

 had separated from the rest, until two P.M., 

 when not seeing any person, I retraced my 

 steps, and on my way met Dr. Richardson, 

 who had also missed the party whilst he 

 was employed gathering tripe de roche, and 

 we went back together in search of them. 

 We found they had halted among some wil- 

 lows, where they had picked up some pieces 

 of skin, and a few bones of deer that had 

 been devoured by the wolves last spring. 

 They had rendered the bones friable by 

 burning, and eaten them as well as the 

 skin ; and several of them had added their 

 old shoes to the repast. Peltier and Vail- 

 lant were with them, having left the canoe, 

 which, they said, was so completely broken 

 by another fall, as to be rendered incapable 

 of repair, and entirely useless. The anguish 

 this intelligence occasioned may be con- 

 ceived, but it is beyond my power to de- 

 scribe it. Impressed, however, with the 

 necessity of taking it forward, even in the 



VOL. IV. d 



