CAMP IN THE SNOW. A CACHE. 



89 



ney, leather boots or shoes would be too cold and pro- 

 bably become hard, neither do they admit of that freedom 

 of circulation which makes a soft and pliable mocassin of 

 dressed buffalo or moose skin so warm and comfortable. 

 The feet rarely get wet in traveling in these regions ; the 

 intense cold preserves the snow perfectly dry, and it is 

 only, near a fire that moisture penetrates a mocassin 

 during cold weather. During a thaw, a mocassin is 

 wet through immediately, and the discomfort must be 

 endured from camp to camp, but colds are unknown 

 from this cause if exercise be persevered in. Under the 

 mocassin, the half-breeds wear a square piece of flannel 

 or blanket wrapped round the feet, to serve as a stocking. 

 The gentlemen wore one pair of worsted stockings, a half 

 boot of duffel, and buffalo skin mocassins, and no one 

 complained of cold feet at any time. 



The first thing on waking in the morning is to make 

 up the fire and prepare for breakfast. We generally rose 

 at five, and were ready to start by daylight ; breakfast, re- 

 packing the bedding, catching and harnessing the dogs 

 usually occupying two hours and a half. 



On the following day we arrived at Pine Eiver, where 

 Cline made a cache of pemmican in the river, some dis- 

 tance from our track, to be taken up on his return. A 

 hole was cut through the ice, then about fifteen inches 

 thick, and a buffalo hide thong having been tied round 

 the bag, and fastened to a stick, it was let down into the 

 water, just below the ice, the stick being stretched across 

 the orifice. Lumps of ice were then piled on the bag of 

 pemmican, and water poured on them. The temperature 

 of the air being at the time considerably below zero, the 

 water froze the instant it touched the ice, and bound the 

 masses together in one block. Fresh ice being added, and 



