LOSS OF AN ENGLISH SLOOP. 131 
might proceed along the shore, by walking upon the ice, 
which had acquired sufficient strength to bear our weight. 
The mate and I resolved to make the experiment. We set 
off immediately, and proceeding a few miles, arrived at the 
mouth of a river bordered by a sandy beach, where we might 
have preserved our boat and lived much less uncomfortably, 
had our good fortune first conducted us thither. This dis- 
covery, while it occasioned regret, did not tend to increase 
our hopes. It was, indeed, easy to penetrate into the woods ; 
but could we wander at random in a savage country, in 
quest of an inhabited district 1 How were we to direct our 
course through the black gloom of the forest 1 and above all, 
how were we to get along through the snow, with which the 
earth was covered to the height of six feet, and which might 
be melted by the first thaw ? 
After consulting together on the subject of our return, it 
was agreed that we had no other resource than to carry on 
our backs the remainder of our provisions and useful effects, 
and to proceed along the coast, where it was most natural to 
expect to find any families of fishermen or savages. The 
weather seemed still inclined to frost, and the wind having 
swept into the sea the greatest part of the snov/ which cover- 
ed the ice upon the coast, we flattered ourselves that we 
should walk ten miles a day even in spite of the langour and 
debility into which we had fallen. 
This resolution being unanimously adopted, we had soon 
completed the necessary preparations. We intended to set 
off on the morning of the 24th, but in the night which pre- 
ceded it, the wind suddenly shifted to the southeast, accompa- 
nied with heavy rain ; so that in a few hours this crust of 
snow, which the day before appeared so solid, was entirely 
dissolved, and the ice detached from the shore. We had now 
no way of escaping from tbis disastrous shore on which we 
were confined. During these painful reflections our eyes 
were directed toward the boat, which we had frequently 
been tempted to break up m order to supply our fire, as we 
could not. expect to render her serviceable again. We still 
had tow sufficient to stow the crevices, but the balsam of 
Canada had been totally exhausted by our daily repairs, and 
we were unable to contrive any substitute for it. 
The frost, however, returned the next day. Its severity 
caused me, during the night, to conceive an idea, which I has- 
tened to put in execution as soon as daylight appeared. This 
was, to pour water upon the tow with which the crevices were 
