t day he refused either to hunt or cut wood, spoke in a very surly
manner, and threatened to leave us. Under these circumstances Mr. Hood
and I deemed it better to promise if he would hunt diligently for four
days that then we would give Hepburn a letter for Mr. Franklin, a
compass, inform him what course to pursue, and let them proceed together
to the fort. The non-arrival of the Indians to our relief now led us to
fear that some accident had happened to Mr. Franklin, and we placed no
confidence in the exertions of the Canadians that accompanied him but we
had the fullest confidence in Hepburn's returning the moment he could
obtain assistance.

On the 17th I went to conduct Michel to where Vaillant's blanket was left
and after walking about three miles pointed out the hills to him at a
distance, and returned to the hut, having gathered a bagful of tripe de
roche on the way. It was easier to gather this weed on a march than at
the tent, for the exercise of walking produced a glow of heat which
enabled us to withstand for a time the cold to which we were exposed in
scraping the frozen surface of the rocks. On the contrary when we left
the fire to collect it in the neighbourhood of the hut we became chilled
at once and were obliged to return very quickly.

Michel proposed to remain out all night and to hunt next day on his way
back. He returned in the afternoon of the 18th, having found the blanket
together with a bag containing two pistols and some other things which
had been left beside it. We had some tripe de roche in the evening but
Mr. Hood, from the constant griping it produced, was unable to eat more
than one or two spoonfuls. He was now so weak as to be scarcely able to
sit up at the fireside and complained that the least breeze of wind
seemed to blow through his frame. He also suffered much from cold during
the night. We lay close to each other but the heat of the body was no
longer sufficient to thaw the frozen rime formed by our breaths on the
blankets that covered him.

At this period we avoided as much as possible conversing upon the
hopelessness of our situation and generally endeavoured to lead the
conversation towards our future prospects in life. The fact is that with
the decay of our strength our minds decayed, and we were no longer able
to bear the contemplation of the horrors that surrounded us. Each of us,
if I may be allowed to judge from my own case, excused himself from so
doing by a desire of n