INDIAN FISH PEMMICAN. 



487 



were fortunate enough to procure some additional food, 

 in the shape of wild fowl or other animals. We suc- 

 ceeded in getting a grey gull on the second day, on which 

 we made an excellent repast. 



On the morning of the 5th, just before we started, an 

 Indian and family from the Dog's Head came to us, they 

 had been windbound seven days on an island not far from 

 where we were, they said they never saw such a continu 

 ous succession of winds and storms on the lake before, 

 and informed us that a freeman's boat which passed dur- 

 ing the night had been thirty days between Eed Eiver 

 and the Saskatchewan, a distance that has been accom- 

 plished by a boat, with a favourable wind, in three days. 

 After bartering with this Indian for a small " rogan " of 

 fish pemmican (dried fish pounded and mixed with stur- 

 geon oil), we proceeded on our journey, glad to get away 

 from the dreary spot. Although there was still a heavy 

 retarding ground-swell on the lake, we paddled many 

 miles before halting. On stopping to cook breakfast we 

 were greatly disappointed to find that the fish pemmican 

 which we were so thankful to get, was nearly all rotten, 

 there being only a small portion on the top that could be 

 eaten, the remainder had to be thrown away. 



A contrary wind freshened up again about noon, but 

 we continued struggling against it, until in attempting to 

 round a point we were completely driven back, and nar- 

 rowly escaped foundering among the huge swells and 

 breakers that dashed high over the boulders extending 

 out from the beach ; we saved the canoe by jumping 

 into the surf and throwing the lading rapidly ashore. As 

 soon as we got everything out of the reach of the waves 

 that were dashing their spray over the dripping shingle 

 beach into the swamp behind, I sent the Ojibway off into 

 the marshes to try to procure us some food. Not 



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