140 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



amongst the rein-deer before our present 

 supply should fail, we made preparations 

 for quitting Fort Enterprise the next day ; 

 and accordingly at an early hour on the 

 16th, having united in thanksgiving and 

 prayer, the whole party left the house after 

 breakfast. Our feelings on quitting the 

 fort where we had formerly enjoyed much 

 comfort, if not happiness, and latterly ex- 

 perienced a degree of misery scarcely to be 

 paralleled, may be more easily conceived 

 than described. The Indians treated us 

 with the utmost tenderness, gave us their., 

 snow-shoes, and walked without themselves, 

 keepingiiy our sides, that they might lift us 

 when we fell. We descended Winter 

 River, and about noon crossed the head of 

 Round-Rock Lake, distant about three 

 miles from the house, where we were obliged 

 to halt, as Dr. Richardson was unable to 

 proceed. The swellings in his limbs ren- 

 dered him by much the weakest of the 

 party. The Indians prepared our encamp- 

 ment, cooked for us, and fed us as if we 

 had been children, evincing humanity that 



