Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/260

230 how people perish, under similar circumstances, in the climate of Britain! The position of this encampment is in lat. 67° 15′ N., long. 117° 5′ W.

On the 31st the wind was still strong and penetrating; but, the snow having ceased, we were glad to continue our journey. As we were now about five miles to the northward of the point where Dr. Richardson and party, in August 1826, crossed a small stream, which I supposed our boats might descend in June to the Coppermine River, I changed our course to east-south-east, with the hope of falling upon it in the evening. The difficulties of the route prevented this; but, from the top of one of the barren, rugged hills among which we were travelling, I espied a valley to the northward, containing several lakes, and, what was of infinitely more consequence to us, a wood to encamp in. In this oasis we were detained another day by a heavy fall of snow. The night was clear and very cold; and next morning, 2nd April, we had to face a severe easterly wind. We proceeded through a sort of pass among the hills, where we witnessed a whirl-wind, which we all, at the first distant view, exclaimed to be the smoke of a large fire. As we passed near it, our respiration was almost suspended by the rapid motion of the air and the