haste we could in sending
relief, he turned back, keeping his gun and ammunition. We watched him
until he was nearly at the fire and then proceeded. During these
detentions Augustus becoming impatient of the delay had walked on and we
lost sight of him. The labour we experienced in wading through the deep
snow induced us to cross a moderate-sized lake which lay in our track,
but we found this operation far more harassing. As the surface of the ice
was perfectly smooth we slipped at almost every step and were frequently
blown down by the wind with such force as to shake our whole frames.

Poor Fontano was completely exhausted by the labour of this traverse and
we made a halt until his strength was recruited, by which time the party
was benumbed with cold. Proceeding again he got on tolerably well for a
little time but, being again seized with faintness and dizziness, he fell
often and at length exclaimed that he could go no farther. We immediately
stopped and endeavoured to encourage him to persevere until we should
find some willows to encamp; he insisted however that he could not march
any longer through this deep snow, and said that, if he should even reach
our encampment this evening, he must be left there, provided tripe de
roche could not be procured to recruit his strength. The poor man was
overwhelmed with grief and seemed desirous to remain at that spot. We
were about two miles from the place where the other men had been left
and, as the track to it was beaten, we proposed to him to return thither
as we thought it probable he would find the men still there; at any rate
he would be able to get fuel to keep him warm during the night, and on
the next day he could follow their track to the officers' tent and,
should the path be covered by the snow, the pines we had passed yesterday
would guide him as they were yet in view.

I cannot describe my anguish on the occasion of separating from another
companion under circumstances so distressing. There was however no
alternative. The extreme debility of the rest of the party put the
carrying him quite out of the question, as he himself admitted, and it
was evident that the frequent delays he must occasion if he accompanied
us and did not gain strength would endanger the lives of the whole. By
returning he had the prospect of getting to the tent where tripe de roche
could be obtained, which agreed with him better than with any other of
the party, and which he was always ve