nd "Ear," but who were called Augustus and
Junius, in preference to the British equivalents of their baptismal
names. During the winter all played games and wrote out their
journals--a favourite occupation with all travellers in their forced
idleness. They subsisted on reindeer meat without vegetables, and drank
tea or chocolate. The Indians were very kind and friendly all the time.
Many instances are related of their good-nature and simplicity.

The 14th of June had come before the travellers considered the icy river
navigable. Some difficulties occurred with the hunters as to the
procuring of provisions by the way, but when all had been arranged
comfortably, a start was made, and the rocky river attempted.

The party arrived at the Copper hills, where the ore was searched for,
and then the expedition continued its course, though the Indians would
not go on after a while for fear of meeting the Esquimaux; and even the
Canadian hunters wanted to go back. The sea was reached on the 18th of
July, and the party paddled their own canoes towards the east. For more
than five hundred miles they coasted, until, instead of finding
themselves in the Arctic Ocean, they were only in an immense bay. So
they turned back and went up Hood's River, with the intention to go as
far as possible by water, and then strike overland to Fort Enterprise
again.

This was a hazardous attempt, but it was their only chance. They were
soon stopped by a waterfall, and then the pilgrimage began. The large
canoes were made into two smaller ones, for the crossing of rivers and
lakes, and, with only provisions for two days, they started overland.

In three days they encountered quite a wintry climate, and from the 5th
to 26th of September they had to march through snow and live on mosses,
without any guide, or observation, to show the way, and many days they
had no food at all. Frozen, and eventually almost in despair, the
Canadians grew impatient. One canoe was disabled, the other lost, and,
at length, when they all reached the Coppermine River, they had no means
of crossing it.

In this emergency, Doctor Richardson volunteered to swim the hundred and
thirty yards of icy water (38 degrees), and carry a line over. He made
the attempt, and had almost succeeded when the cold overcame him, and he
was dragged back nearly drowned. He was with much difficulty restored
to animation. A kind of basket was then rigged up, and in it Saint
Germain,