94. 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



CHAPTER IV. 



Leave Cumberland House — Mode of Travelling in Winter — Arrival at Carlton House — Stone 

 Indians — Visit to a Buffalo Pound — Goitres — Departure from Carlton House — Isle a la 

 Crosse — Arrival at Fort Chipeywan. 



January 18. This day we set out from Cumberland House for Carl- 

 ton House ; but previously to detailing the events of the journey, it 

 may be proper to describe the necessary equipments of a winter 

 traveller in this region, which I cannot do better than by extracting 

 the following brief, but accurate, account of it from Mr. Hood's 

 journal : — 



" A snow-shoe is made of two light bars of wood, fastened to- 

 gether at their extremities, and projected into curves by transverse 

 bars. The side bars have been so shaped by a frame, and dried be- 

 fore a fire, that the front part of the shoe turns up, like the prow 

 of a boat, and the part behind terminates in an acute angle ; the 

 spaces between the bars are filled up with a fine netting of leathern 

 thongs, except that part behind the main bar, which is occupied by 

 the feet ; the netting is there close and strong, and the foot is at- 

 tached to the main bar by straps passing round the heel, but only 

 fixing the toes, so that the heel rises after each step, and the tail of 

 the shoe is dragged on the snow. Between the main bar and 

 another in front of it, a small space is left, permitting the toes to 

 descend a little in the act of raising the heel to make the step for- 

 ward, which prevents their extremities from chafing. The length of 

 a show-shoe is from four to six feet, and the breadth one foot and a 



