94 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



in the habit of leaving by the fire where 

 we lay on them. The Doctor having 

 brought his prayer-book and testament, 

 some prayers and psalms, and portions of 

 scripture, appropriate to our situation, were 

 read, and we retired to bed. 



Next morning the Doctor and Hepburn 

 went out early in search of deer; but 

 though they saw several herds and fired 

 some shots, they were not so fortunate as 

 to kill any, being too weak to hold their 

 guns steadily. The cold compelled the 

 former to return soon, but Hepburn per- 

 sisted until late in the evening. 



My occupation was to search for skins 

 under the snow, it being now our object 

 immediately to get all that we would, but I 

 had not strength to drag in more than two 

 of those which were within twenty yards of 

 the house until the Doctor came and assisted 

 me. We made up our stock to twenty-six, 

 but several of them were putrid, and 

 scarcely eatable, even by men suffering the 

 extremity of famine. Peltier and Samandre 

 continued very weak and dispirited, and 



