54 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



through the deep snow, and I returned 

 quite exhausted, and much shaken by the 

 numerous falls I had got. My associates 

 were all in the same debilitated state, and 

 poor Hood was reduced to a perfect shadow, 

 from the severe bowel complaints which the 

 tripe de roche never failed to give him. 

 Back was so feeble as to require the support 

 of a stick in walking, and Dr. Richardson 

 had lameness superadded to weakness. 

 The voyagers were somewhat stronger than 

 ourselves, but more indisposed to exertion, 

 on account of their despondency. The 

 sensation of hunger was no longer felt by 

 any of us, yet we were scarcely able to 

 converse upon any other subject than the 

 pleasures of eating. We were much in- 

 debted to Hepburn at this crisis. The 

 officers were unable from weakness to 

 gather tripe de roche themselves, and Sa- 

 mandre, who had acted as our cook on the 

 journey from the coast, sharing in the de- 

 spair of the rest of the Canadians, refused 

 to make the slightest exertion. Hepburn, 

 on the contrary, animated by a firm reliance 



