402 



A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



much kindness. The ground was covered a foot deep with snow, 

 the margin of the lakes was incrusted with ice, and the swamps over 

 which we had to pass were entirely frozen; but the ice not being 

 sufficiently strong to bear us, we frequently plunged knee-deep in 

 water. Those who carried the canoes were repeatedly blown down 

 by the violence of the wind, and they often fell, from making an 

 insecure step on a slippery stone; on one of these occasions, the 

 largest canoe was so much broken as to be rendered utterly unser- 

 viceable. This was felt as a serious disaster, as the remaining canoe 

 having through mistake been made too small, it was doubtful 

 whether it would be sufficient to carry us across a river. Indeed 

 we had found it necessary in crossing Hood's River, to lash the two 

 canoes together. As there was some suspicion that Benoit, who 

 carried the canoe, had broken it intentionally, he having on a former 

 occasion been overheard by some of the men to say, that he would 

 do so when he got it in charge, we closely examined him on the 

 point ; he roundly denied having used the expressions attributed to 

 him, and insisted that it was broken by his falling accidentally; and 

 as he brought men to attest the latter fact, who saw him tumble, we 

 did not press the matter further. I may here remark that our 

 people had murmured a good deal at having to carry two canoes, 

 though they were informed of the necessity of taking both, in case 

 it should be deemed advisable to divide the party ; which it had 

 been thought probable we should be obliged to do, if animals proved 

 scarce, in order to give the whole the better chance of procuring 

 subsistence, and also for the purpose of sending forward some of the 

 best walkers to search for Indians, and to get them to meet us with 

 supplies of provision. The power of doing this was now at an end. 

 As the accident could not be remedied, we turned it to the best 

 account, by making a fire of the bark and timbers of the broken 

 vessel, and cooked the remainder of our portable soup and arrow- 

 root. This was a scanty meal after three days' fasting, but it served 



