direct line twenty-fire miles. While we halted to consider of this
subject, and to collect the party, the carcass of a deer was discovered
in the cleft of a rock into which it had fallen in the spring. It was
putrid, but little less acceptable to us on that account, in our present
circumstances; and a fire being kindled, a large portion was devoured
on the spot, affording us an unexpected breakfast, for in order to
husband our small remaining portion of meat, we had agreed to make
only one scanty meal a day. The men, cheered by this unlooked-for
supply, became sanguine in the hope of being able to cross the stream
on a raft of willows, although they had before declared such a project
impracticable, and they unanimously entreated us to return back to
the rapid, a request which accorded with our own opinion, and was
therefore acceded to. Crédit and Junius, however, were missing,
and it was also necessary to send notice of our intention to Mr. Back
and his party. Augustus being promised a reward, undertook the
task, and we agreed to wait for him at the rapid. It was supposed
he could not fail meeting with the two stragglers on his way to or
from Mr. Back, as it was likely they would keep on the borders of the
lake. He accordingly set out after Mr. Back, whilst W'e returned
about a mile towards the rapid, and encamped in a deep valley
amongst some large willows. We supped on the remains of the
putrid deer, and the men having gone to the spot where it was found,
scraped together the contents of its intestines which were scattered
on the rock, and added them to their meal. We also enjoyed the
luxury to-day of eating a large quantity of excellent blue-berries and
cran-berries ( vaccinium uliginosum and v. vitis ideea) which were
laid bare by the melting of the snow, but nothing could allay our
inordinate appetites.
In the night we heard the report of Crédit’s gun in answer to
our signal muskets, and he rejoined us in the morning, but we
got no intelligence of Junius. We set out about an hour after daybreak,
and encamped at two P.M. between the rapids, where the
river was about one hundred and thirty yards wide, being its narrowest
part.
Eight deer were seen by Michel and Crédit, who loitered behind
the rest of the party, but they could not approach them. A great
many shots were fired by those in the rear at partridges, but they
missed, or at least did not chuse to add what they killed to the
common stock. We subsequently learned that the hunters often
secreted the partridges they shot, and ate them unknown to the
officers. Some tripe de roche was collected, which we boiled for
supper, with the moiety of the remainder of our deer’s meat. The
men commenced cutting the willows for the construction of the raft.
As an excitement to exertion, I promised a reward of three hundred
livres to the first person who should convey a fine across the river,
by which the raft could be managed in transporting the party.
September 29.—Strong south-east winds with fog in the morning,
more moderate in the evening. Temperature of the rapid 38°.
The men began at an early hour to bind the willows in fagots for
the construction of the raft, and it was finished by seven; but as
the willows were green, it proved to be very little buoyant, and was
unable to support more than one man at a time. Even on this,
however, we hoped the whole party might be transported, by hauling
it from one side to the other, provided a line could be carried to
the other bank. Several attempts were made by Belanger and
Benoit, the strongest men of the party, to convey the raft across
the stream, but they failed for want of oars. A pole constructed
by tying the tent poles together, was too short to reach the bottom
at a short distance from the shore ; and a paddle which had been
carried from the sea-coast by Dr. Richardson, did not possess sufficient
power to move the raft in opposition to a strong breeze, which
blew from the other side. All the men suffered extremely from the
coldness of the water, in which they were necessarily immersed
up to the waists, in their endeavours to aid Belanger and Benoit ;