Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/265

Rh forwarding our provisions and baggage to, over the snow, though my new companions, instead of a river, could perceive only "a cairn of stones." The portion we had brought with us, amounting to about a third of the whole quantity, I now consigned to the two men appointed to guard it. They were furnished with leather lodges as a defence against the cold, which was still very great; the thermometer in the night frequently falling below —30° accompanied by violent winds. Next morning we set out on our return. The whole journey occupied seven days; viz. four going laden, and three returning light, the distance being ninety-five statute miles. By often repeated trials we had found the climate of the barren lands, even a single day's march eastward of Fort Confidence, far more severe than at that place, which lies low and comparatively sheltered. On the present occasion two of our best dogs got frozen. The hard snow was extremely galling to the feet, and several of the party suffered from snow-blindness. We saved our people from that painful evil for the rest of the season by constructing short tubes of wood and bark, covered at the outer end with green gauze, and worn as shades. The Indians, unlike the Esquimaux, are too stupid to contrive any precaution against ophthalmia; almost every one who arrived was