OF THE POLAR SEA. 



199 



some years ago. We travelled twelve miles 

 to-day. The wolves serenaded us through 

 the night with a chorus of their agreeable 

 howling, but none of them ventured near 

 the encampment. But Mr. Back's repose 

 was disturbed by a more serious evil ; his 

 buffalo robe caught fire, and the shoes on 

 his feet, being contracted by the heat, gave 

 him such pain, that he jumped up in the 

 cold, and ran into the snow as the only 

 means of obtaining relief. 



On the 28th we had a strong and piercing 

 wind from N.W. in our faces, and much 

 snow-drift; we were compelled to walk as 

 quick as we could, and to keep constantly 

 rubbing the exposed parts of the skin, to 

 prevent their being frozen, but some of the 

 party suffered in spite of every precaution. 

 We descried three red-deer on the banks of 

 the river, and were about to send the best 

 marksmen after them, when they espied the 

 party, and ran away. A supply of meat 

 would have been very seasonable, as the 

 men's provision had become scanty, and the 

 4ogs were without food, except a little 



