main to hasten his operations, but though he was only
three-quarters of a mile distant I spent three hours in a vain attempt to
reach him, my strength being unequal to the labour of wading through the
deep snow, and I returned quite exhausted and much shaken by the numerous
falls I had got. My associates were all in the same debilitated state and
poor Hood was reduced to a perfect shadow from the severe bowel
complaints which the tripe de roche never failed to give him. Back was so
feeble as to require the support of a stick in walking, and Dr.
Richardson had lameness superadded to weakness. The voyagers were
somewhat stronger than ourselves but more indisposed to exertion on
account of their despondency. The sensation of hunger was no longer felt
by any of us, yet we were scarcely able to converse upon any other
subject than the pleasures of eating. We were much indebted to Hepburn at
this crisis. The officers were unable from weakness to gather tripe de
roche themselves and Samandre, who had acted as our cook on the journey
from the coast, sharing in the despair of the rest of the Canadians,
refused to make the slightest exertion. Hepburn on the contrary, animated
by a firm reliance on the beneficence of the Supreme Being, tempered with
resignation to His will, was indefatigable in his exertions to serve us
and daily collected all the tripe de roche that was used in the officers'
mess. Mr. Hood could not partake of this miserable fare, and a partridge
which had been reserved for him was I lament to say this day stolen by
one of the men.

October 4.

The canoe being finished it was brought to the encampment and, the whole
party being assembled in anxious expectation on the beach, St. Germain
embarked and, amidst our prayers for his success, succeeded in reaching
the opposite shore. The canoe was then drawn back again and another
person transported, and in this manner, by drawing it backwards and
forwards, we were all conveyed over without any serious accident. By
these frequent traverses the canoe was materially injured, and latterly
it filled each time with water before reaching the shore, so that all our
garments and bedding were wet and there was not a sufficiency of willows
upon the side on which we now were to make a fire to dry them.

That no time might be lost in procuring relief I immediately despatched
Mr. Back with St. Germain, Solomon Belanger, and Beauparlant to search
for the Indians, directing him to go