342 'TRAVELS IN THE UNITED STATES : 
through the clouds, and being all of us totally 
unacquainted with the river,, we could not but 
feel some concern for the personal safety of 
our companion. Before many minutes, how-? 
ever, were elapsed, we had the satisfaction of 
hearing his voice at a distance, and having 
made the. best of our way along the shore to 
the spot from whence the sound proceeded, 
we had the satisfaction to find that he had 
been carried in safety close beside the canoe 
which had been lost ; we were not a little 
pleased also at finding our portmanteaus at the 
bottom of the canoe, though well soaked in 
water; but such of our clothes as we had taken 
off preparatory to going into the water, togc- 
ther with several light articles, were all lost. 
It froze so very hard now, that in a few 
minutes our portmanteaus, and such of our. 
garments as had been wetted, were covered 
with a coat of ice, and our limbs were quite 
benumbed, in consequence of our having wad¬ 
ed so often through the river. Desirous, how- 
• 1 '» 
ever, as we were to get to a no use, we aetcr- 
mined, in the first instance, to dispose of our 
baggage in a safe place, lest it might be pil¬ 
laged. 4- deep hollow that appeared under 
some fallen trees seemed well adapted for the 
purpose, and having stowed it there, and co¬ 
vered it with leaves, we advanced forward. 
There were no traces whatsoever of a path in 
