have been impaired by the recent supply of animal food. In the
afternoon the wind abated, and the snow ceased ; cheered with the
change, we proceeded forward at a quicker pace, and encamped at
six P.M, having come eleven miles. Our supper consumed the last
of our meat.
We set out on the 13th, in thick hazy weather, and, after an
hour's march, had the extreme mortification to find ourselves on the
borders of a large lake; neither of its extremities could be seen, and
as the portion which lay to the east seemed the widest, we coasted
along to the westward portion in search of a crossing-place. This
lake being bounded by steep and lofty hills, our march was very
fatiguing. Those sides which were exposed to the sun, were
free from snow, and we found upon them some excellent berries.
We encamped at six P.M., having come only six miles and a half.
Crédit was then missing, and he did not return during the night.
We supped off a single partridge and some tripe de roche; this
unpalatable weed was now quite nauseous to the whole party, and
in several it produced bowel complaints. Mr. Hood was the greatest
sufferer from this cause. This evening we were extremely distressed,
at discovering that our improvident companions, since we
left Hood’s Eiver had thrown away three of the fishing-nets, and
burnt the floats; they knew we had brought them to procure
subsistence for the party, when the animals should fail, and we could
scarcely believe the fact of their having wilfully deprived themselves
of this resource, especially when we considered that most of them
had passed the greater part of their servitude in situations where
the nets alone had supplied them with food. Being thus deprived
of our principal resource, that of fishing, and the men evidently
getting weaker every day, it became necessary to lighten their
burdens of every thing except ammunition, clothing, and the instruments
that were required to find our way. I, therefore, issued
directions to deposit at this encampment the dipping needle,
azimuth compass, magnet, a large thermometer, and a few books
we had carried, having torn out of these, such parts as we should
require to work the observations for latitude and longitude. I also
promised, as an excitement to the efforts in hunting, my gun to
St. Germain, and an ample compensation to Adam, or any of the
other men who should kill any animals. Mr. Hood, on this occasion,
lent his gun to Michel, the Iroquois, who was very eager in
the chase, and often successful.
September 14.—This morning the officers being assembled round
a small fire, Perrault presented each of us with a small piece of
meat which he had saved from his allowance. It was received with
great thankfulness, and such an act of self-denial and kindness,
being totally unexpected in a Canadian voyager, filled our eyes with
tears. In directing our course to a river issuing from the lake,
we met Crédit, who communicated the joyful intelligence of his
having killed two deer in the morning. We instantly halted, and
having shared the deer that was nearest to us, prepared breakfast.
After which, the other deer was sent for, and we went down to the
river, which was about three hundred yards wide, and flowed with
great velocity through a broken rocky channel. Having searched
for a part where the current was most smooth, the canoe was placed
in the water at the head of a rapid, and St. Germain, Solomon
Belanger, and I, embarked in order to cross. We went from the
shore very well, but in mid-channel the canoe became difficult to
manage under our burden as the breeze was fresh. The current
drove us to the edge of the rapid, when Belanger unluckily applied
his paddle to avert the apparent danger of being forced down it,
and lost his balance. The canoe was overset in consequence in
the middle of the rapid. We fortunately kept hold of it, until we
touched a rock where the water did not reach higher than our
waists ; here we kept our footing, notwithstanding the strength of
the current, until the water was emptied out of the canoe. Belanger
then held the canoe steady whilst St. Germain placed me in it, and 3 G