an unsteady
voice: 'Well, she's gone.' We say not much, nothing that indicates
poor courage, but go about to find what we can in the wreck, and pack
up for a tramp down river. In an hour we have picked out everything
useful, including my money, nails, thread and damaged provisions, and
are on the way down river hoping to pass the rapids before dark,
starting at 5."

Their position was certainly disheartening. They were one hundred and
fifty miles from their nearest cache, and nearly three hundred from
the nearest settlement, already greatly used up, needing rest and
plenty of food; in a country that forbade any extended tramping inland
to cut off corners, on a river in most places either too rough for a
raft or with too sluggish a current to make rafting pay; and above
all, left with a stock of food comprising one quart of good rice,
brought back with them, three quarts of mixed meal, burnt flour and
burnt rice, a little tea, one can of badly dried tongue, and one can
of baked beans that were really improved by the fire. Add to this some
three dozen matches and twenty-five cartridges, blankets and what
things they had on the tramp to the falls, and the list of their
outfit, with which to cover the three hundred miles, is complete.
There was no time to be wasted, and that same night six miles were
made before camping. The next day the battle for life began. It was
decided that any game or other supplies found on the way should be
used liberally, while those with which they started were husbanded.
This day several trout were caught, line and hooks being part of each
man's outfit, and two square meals enjoyed, which proved the last for
a week. A raft was made that would not float the men and baggage, and
being somewhat discouraged on the subject of rafting by the failure,
another was not then attempted, and the men continued tramping.
Following the river, they found its general course between the rapids
and Lake Wanimikapo, S.S.E. During part of that day and all the next,
they followed in the track of a large panther, but did not get in
sight of him. Acting on the principle that they should save their
strength as much as possible, camps were gone into fairly early and
were well made; and this night, in spite of the desperate straits they
were in, both men enjoyed a most delightful sleep.

[Squirrel and Cranberries] After this some time every morning was
usually occupied in mending shoes. All sorts of devices were resort