Page:Across the sub-Arctics of Canada (1897).djvu/199

 meat left, and at this rate of travel two weeks would take us to Churchill. By carefully rationing ourselves we had meat enough to last for five or six days, and the balance of the time could, if necessary, be spent without provisions.

On the night of the 15th, however, being camped upon a little sand island in the mouth of Corbet's Inlet, our hopes were blighted by the approach of a gale, and all the next day we lay imprisoned upon the sand-bar without any fresh water to drink. Toward evening the wind was accompanied by a chilling rain, which continued all night and the greater part of the next morning. On the following afternoon the wind suddenly fell, and though a heavy sea continued to roll in from the east, the waves ceased to break.

Fearing to lose one hour when it was possible to travel, we launched our canoes upon the heaving bosom of the deep and started across the mouth of the inlet on an eight-mile traverse. As we passed out beyond the shelter of the island we found the seas running fearfully high, but so long as they did not break upon us we had little to fear, and this would not likely occur unless the wind should spring up again; but when we were well out in the middle of the inlet that is just what did occur. The wind began to rise from exactly the opposite quarter, and speedily increased in force, whipping the crests off the waves in such a way as to make things appear anything but reassuring. Our situation was indeed perilous. Every effort was made to guide the canoes so as to brook least danger, but in spite of all we could do the seas dashed in upon us, and it looked as if we would never reach the shore.