hrough the ice, and sank up to the hips. The weather being cold, he was
in danger of freezing, but some brushwood on the borders of the lake
enabled us to make a fire to dry him. At the same time we took the
opportunity of refreshing ourselves with a kettle of swamp tea.

My increasing debility had for some time obliged me to use a stick for
the purpose of extending my arms; the pain in my shoulders being so
acute, that I could not bear them to remain in the usual position for
two minutes together. We halted at five among some small brushwood, and
made a sorry meal of an old pair of leather trowsers, and some swamp
tea.

The night was cold with a hard frost, and though two persons slept
together, yet we could not by any means keep ourselves warm, but
remained trembling the whole time. The following morning we crossed
several lakes, occasionally seeing the recent tracks of deer, and at
noon we fell upon Marten Lake; it happened to be at the exact spot where
we had been the last year with the canoes, yet though I immediately
recognised the place, the men would not believe it to be the same; at
length, by pointing out several marks, and relating circumstances
connected with them, they recovered their memory, and a simultaneous
expression of "Mon Dieu, nous sommes sauves{53}," broke from the whole.
Contrary to our expectations the lake was frozen sufficiently to bear
us, so that we were excused from making the tours of the different bays.
This circumstance seemed to impart fresh vigour to us, and we walked as
fast as the extreme smoothness of the ice would permit, intending to
reach the Slave Rock that night; but an unforeseen and almost fatal
accident prevented the prosecution of our plan: Belanger (who seemed the
victim of misfortune) again broke through the ice, in a deep part near
the head of the rapid, but was timely saved by our fastening our worsted
belts together, and pulling him out. By urging him forwards as quick as
his icy garments would admit, to prevent his freezing, we reached a few
pines, and kindled a fire; but it was late before he even felt warm,
though he was so near the flame as to burn his hair twice; and to add to
our distress, (since we could not pursue them,) three wolves crossed the
lake close to us.

The night of the 7th was extremely stormy, and about ten the following
morning, on attempting to go on, we found it totally impossible, being
too feeble to oppose the wind and drift, which frequentl