of October the wind was strong and the weather
as unfavourable as before for crossing on the raft. We were rejoiced to
see Mr. Back and his party in the afternoon. They had traced the lake
about fifteen miles farther than we did and found it undoubtedly
connected, as we had supposed, with the lake we fell in with on the 22nd
of September and, dreading as we had done, the idea of coasting its
barren shores, they returned to make an attempt at crossing here. St.
Germain now proposed to make a canoe of the fragments of painted canvas
in which we wrapped our bedding. This scheme appearing practicable, a
party was sent to our encampment of the 24th and 25th last to collect
pitch amongst the small pines that grew there to pay over the seams of
the canoe.

In the afternoon we had a heavy fall of snow which continued all night. A
small quantity of tripe de roche was gathered and Credit, who had been
hunting, brought in the antlers and back bone of a deer which had been
killed in the summer. The wolves and birds of prey had picked them clean
but there still remained a quantity of the spinal marrow which they had
not been able to extract. This, although putrid, was esteemed a valuable
prize and the spine being divided into portions was distributed equally.
After eating the marrow, which was so acrid as to excoriate the lips, we
rendered the bones friable by burning and ate them also.

On the following morning the ground was covered with snow to the depth of
a foot and a half and the weather was very stormy. These circumstances
rendered the men again extremely despondent; a settled gloom hung over
their countenances and they refused to pick tripe de roche, choosing
rather to go entirely without eating than to make any exertion. The party
which went for gum returned early in the morning without having found
any, but St. Germain said he could still make the canoe with the willows
covered with canvas, and removed with Adam to a clump of willows for that
purpose. Mr. Back accompanied them to stimulate his exertion as we feared
the lowness of his spirits would cause him to be slow in his operations.
Augustus went to fish at the rapid but, a large trout having carried away
his bait, we had nothing to replace it.

The snow-storm continued all the night and during the forenoon of the
3rd. Having persuaded the people to gather some tripe de roche I partook
of a meal with them and afterwards set out with the intention of going to
St. Ger