392 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



without diminution. The thermometer fell to 33°. Two men were 

 sent with Junius to search for the deer which Augustus had killed. 

 Junius returned in the evening bringing part of the meat, but owing 

 to the thickness of the weather, his companions parted from him 

 and did not make their appearance. Divine service was read. On 

 the 20th we were presented with the most chilling prospect, the 

 small pools of water being frozen over, the ground being covered 

 with snow, and the thermometer at the freezing point at mid-day. 

 Frights of geese were passing to the southward. The wind however 

 was more moderate, having changed to the eastward. Considerable 

 anxiety prevailing respecting JBelanger and Michel, the two men 

 who strayed from Junius yesterday, the rest were sent out to look 

 for them. The search was successful, and they all returned in the 

 evening. The stragglers were much fatigued, and had suffered 

 severely from the cold, one of them having his thighs frozen, and 

 what under our present circumstances was most grievous, they had 

 thrown away all the meat. The wind during the night returned to 

 the north-west quarter, blew more violently than ever, and raised a 

 very turbulent sea. The next day did not improve our condition, 

 the snow remained on the ground, and the small pools were frozen. 

 Our hunters were sent out, but they returned after a fatiguing 

 day's march without having seen any animals. We made a scanty 

 meal off a handful of pemmican, after which only half a bag 

 remained. 



The wind abated after midnight, and the surf diminished rapidly, 

 which caused us to be on the alert at a very early hour on the 22d, 

 but we had to wait until six A.M. for the return of Augustus who 

 had continued out all night on an unsuccessful pursuit of deer. 

 It appears that he had walked a few miles farther along the coast, 

 than the party had done on the 18th, and from a sketch he drew on 

 the sand, we were confirmed in our former opinion that the shore 

 inclined more to the eastward beyond Point Turnagain. He also 



