162 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



frozen ; indeed we were all glad to rest, for 

 in our meagre and reduced state it was im- 

 possible to resist the weather, which at any 

 other time would have been thought fine ; 

 my toes were frozen, and although wrapped 

 up in a blanket I could not keep my hands 

 warm. 



The 12th was excessively cold with fresh 

 breezes. Our meal at night consisted of 

 scraps of old deer skins and swamp tea, 

 and the men complained greatly of their 

 increasing debility. The following morning 

 I sent St. Germain to hunt, intending to go 

 some distance down the lake, but the wea- 

 ther becoming exceedingly thick with snow 

 storms, we were prevented from moving. 

 He returned without success, not having 

 seen any animals. We had nothing to eat. 



In the morning of the 14th the part of 

 the lake before us was quite frozen. There 

 was so much uncertainty in St. Germain's 

 answers as to the chance of any Indians 

 being in the direction we were then going, 

 (although he had previously said that the 

 leader had told him he should be there,) 



