ain we could not be far from the woods. Indeed we were
making considerable progress when Belanger unfortunately broke through
the ice and sank up to the hips. The weather being cold, he was in danger
of freezing, but some brushwood on the borders of the lake enabled us to
make a fire to dry him. At the same time we took the opportunity of
refreshing ourselves with a kettle of swamp tea.

My increasing debility had for some time obliged me to use a stick for
the purpose of extending my arms, the pain in my shoulders being so acute
that I could not bear them to remain in the usual position for two
minutes together. We halted at five among some small brushwood and made a
sorry meal of an old pair of leather trousers and some swamp tea.

The night was cold with a hard frost and though two persons slept
together yet we could not by any means keep ourselves warm, but remained
trembling the whole time. The following morning we crossed several lakes,
occasionally seeing the recent tracks of deer, and at noon we fell upon
Marten Lake; it happened to be at the exact spot where we had been the
last year with the canoes yet, though I immediately recognised the place,
the men would not believe it to be the same; at length by pointing out
several marks and relating circumstances connected with them they
recovered their memory, and a simultaneous expression of "Mon Dieu, nous
sommes sauves," broke from the whole. Contrary to our expectations the
lake was frozen sufficiently to bear us, so that we were excused from
making the tours of the different bays. This circumstance seemed to
impart fresh vigour to us and we walked as fast as the extreme smoothness
of the ice would permit, intending to reach the Slave Rock that night,
but an unforeseen and almost fatal accident prevented the prosecution of
our plan: Belanger (who seemed the victim of misfortune) again broke
through the ice in a deep part near the head of the rapid, but was timely
saved by our fastening our worsted belts together and pulling him out. By
urging him forwards as quick as his icy garments would admit to prevent
his freezing, we reached a few pines and kindled a fire, but it was late
before he even felt warm, though he was so near the flame as to burn his
hair twice, and to add to our distress (since we could not pursue them)
three wolves crossed the lake close to us.

The night of the 7th was extremely stormy and about ten the following
morning, on attempting to go o