the rear at partridges, but they missed, or at least
did not choose 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
line 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 deg.. 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; and having witnessed
repeated failures, they began to consider the scheme as hopeless. At
this time Dr. Richardson, prompted by a desire of relieving his
suffering companions, proposed to swim across the stream with a line,
and to haul the raft over. He launched into the stream with the line
round his middle, but when he had got a short distance from the bank,
his arms became benumbed with cold, and he lost the power of moving
them; still he persevered, and, turning on his back, had nearly gained
the opposite bank, when his legs also became powerless, and to our
infinite alarm we beheld him sink. We instantly hauled upon the line and
he came again on t