OF THE POLAR SEA. 



413 



pace until five P.M., having made twelve miles and a half. We had 

 made to-day our proper course, south by east, which we could not 

 venture upon doing before, for fear of falling again upon some branch 

 of the Contwoy-to. Some deer were seen in the morning, but the 

 hunters failed of killing any, and in the afternoon we fell into the 

 track of a large herd, which had passed the day before, but did not 

 overtake them. In consequence of this want of success we had no 

 breakfast, and but a scanty supper ; but we allayed the pangs of 

 hunger, by eating pieces of singed hide. A little tripe de roche was 

 also obtained. These would have satisfied us in ordinary times, but 

 we were now almost exhausted by slender fare and travel, and our 

 appetites had become ravenous. We looked, however, with humble 

 confidence to the great Author and Giver of all good, for a con- 

 tinuance of the support which had hitherto been always supplied to 

 us at our greatest need. The thermometer varied to-day between 

 25° and 28°. The wind blew fresh from the south. 



On the 18th the atmosphere was hazy, but the day was more 

 pleasant for walking than usual. The country was level and gravelly, 

 and the snow very deep. We went for a short time along a deeply- 

 beaten road, made by the rein-deer, which turned suddenly off to 

 the south-west, which was a direction so wide of our course that we 

 could not venture upon following it. All the small lakes were frozen, 

 and we marched across those which lay in our track. We supped off 

 the tripe de roche which had been gathered during our halts in the 

 course of the march. Thermometer at six P.M. 32°. 



Showers of snow fell without intermission through the night, but 

 they ceased in the morning, and we set out at the usual hour. The 

 men were very faint from hunger, and marched with difficulty, 

 having to oppose a fresh breeze, and to wade through the snow two 

 feet deep. We gained, however, ten miles by four o'clock, and then 

 encamped. The canoe was unfortunately broken by the fall of the 

 person who had it in charge. No tripe de roche was seen to-day, 



