ght it was near morning.
But I did not give them the opportunity, and only hurried up the
breakfast. After prayers we harnessed our dogs, tied up our loads of
bedding, food, kettles, and other things; and then, throwing the boughs
on which we had slept on the fire, by the light which it afforded us, we
wended our way out through the forest gloom to the frozen lake.

Taking the lead with my own splendid dogs, we travelled at such a rate
that, ere the sun rose up to cheer us, over forty miles of Winnipeg's
icy expanse lay between us and the snowy bed where we had sought shelter
and slept during the raging storm. After stopping at Dog's Head, where
were a few Indians, under the eccentric chief, Thickfoot, onward we
travelled, crossing the lake to what is called Bull's Head, where we
camped for the night. The face of the cliff is here so steep that we
could not get our heavy loads up into the forest above, so we were
obliged to make our fire and bed in the snowdrift at the base of the
cliff. It was a poor place indeed. The snow, from the constant
drifting in from the lake, was very deep. There was no shelter or
screen from the fierce cold wind, which, changing during the night, blew
upon us. We tried to build up the fire, but, owing to our peculiar
position, could not change it. In the woods, at our camps, we build the
fire where the smoke will be driven from us. If the wind changes, we
change our fires. Here at the base of this cliff we could do nothing of
the kind; the result was, we were either shivering in the bitter cold,
or blinded by the smoke.

While in this uncomfortable plight, and trying to arrange our camp beds
on the snow, for we could not get any balsam boughs here to put under
us, we were joined by several wild Indians, who, coming down the lake,
saw our camp-fire. They had a number of thin, wild, wolfish, half-
starved Esquimaux dogs with them. They made a great fuss over me, which
here meant so much tea and food. I treated them kindly, and, fearing
for our supplies, and even our dog harness, and the other things for
which the terrible Esquimaux dog has such an appetite, I politely
informed them that I thought they would be more comfortable if they
travelled on a little further. This hint was met with loud
protestations that they could not, under any circumstances, think of
denying themselves the pleasure of at least stopping one night in the
camp of the Missionary, about whom they had heard s