OF THE POLAR SEA. 



63 



ance of earnestness, to return to those 

 officers upon the first supply of food. 



The party then moved on; Vaillant's 

 blanket and other necessaries were left in 

 the track at the request of the Canadians, 

 without any hope, however, of his being 

 able to reach them. After marching till 

 dusk without seeing a favourable place for 

 encamping, night compelled us to take 

 shelter under the lee of a hill amongst some 

 willows, with which, after many attempts, we 

 at length made a fire. It was not sufficient, 

 however, to warm the whole party, much 

 less to thaw our shoes ; and the weather 

 not permitting the gathering of tripe de roehe, 

 we had nothing to cook. The painful 

 retrospection of the melancholy events of 

 the day banished sleep, and we shuddered 

 as we contemplated the dreadful effects of 

 this bitterly cold night on our two compa- 

 nions, if still living. Some faint hopes were 

 entertained of Credit's' surviving the storm, 

 as he was provided with a good blanket, 

 and had leather to eat. 



The weather was mild next morning. 



