OF THE POLAR SEA. 163 



and he gave me so much dissatisfaction in 

 his hunting excursions, that I was induced 

 to send a note to the Commander, whom I 

 supposed to be by this time at Fort Enter- 

 prise, to inform him of our situation ; not that 

 I imagined for a moment he could amend 

 it, but that by all returning to the Fort we 

 might, perhaps, have better success in hunt- 

 ing; with this view I despatched Belanger, 

 much against his inclination, and told him 

 to return as quickly as possible to a place 

 about four miles further on, where we in- 

 tended to fish, and to await his arrival. 

 The men were so weak this day, that I 

 could get neither of them to move from the 

 encampment ; and it was only necessity 

 that compelled them to cut wood for fuel, 

 in performing which operation Beaupar- 

 lant's face became so dreadfully swelled 

 that he could scarcely see; I myself lost 

 my temper on the most trivial circumstan- 

 ces, and was become very peevish ; the day 

 was fine but cold, with a freezing north-east 

 wind. We had nothing to eat. 



October 15. — The night was calm and 

 m 2 



