e
ice had broken near the shores of the lakes but this was little regarded
as the day was unusually warm, the temperature at two P.M. being at 82
1/2 degrees. At Marten Lake we joined the canoe party and encamped with
them. We had the mortification of learning from our hunters that the meat
they had put en cache here had been destroyed by the wolverines, and we
had in consequence to furnish the supper from our scanty stock of dried
meat. The wind changed from South-East to North-East in the evening and
the weather became very cold, the thermometer being at 43 degrees at nine
P.M. The few dwarf birches we could collect afforded fire insufficient to
keep us warm and we retired under the covering of our blankets as soon as
the supper was despatched. The North-East breeze rendered the night so
extremely cold that we procured but little sleep, having neither fire nor
shelter for, though we carried our tents, we had been forced to leave the
tent-poles which we could not now replace; we therefore gladly
recommenced the journey at five in the morning and travelled through the
remaining part of the lake on the ice. Its surface being quite smooth the
canoes were dragged along expeditiously by the dogs, and the rest of the
party had to walk very quick to keep pace with them, which occasioned
many severe falls. By the time we had reached the end of the lake the
wind had increased to a perfect gale and the atmosphere was so cold that
we could not proceed farther with the canoes without the risk of breaking
the bark and seriously injuring them; we therefore crossed Winter River
in them and put up in a well-sheltered place on a ridge of sandhills but,
as the stock of provision was scanty, we determined on proceeding as
quick as possible and leaving the canoe party under the charge of Mr.
Wentzel. We parted from them in the afternoon, and first directed our
course towards a range of hills where we expected to find Antonio
Fontano, who had separated from us in the morning. In crossing towards
these hills I fell through the ice into the lake with my bundle on my
shoulders but was soon extricated without any injury, and Mr. Back, who
left us to go in search of the straggler, met with a similar accident in
the evening. We put up on a ridge of sandhills where we found some pines,
and made a large fire to apprise Mr. Back and Fontano of our position.
St. Germain having killed a deer in the afternoon we received an
acceptable supply of meat. Th