Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/91

 and over the sharp crust produced by the rain a foot of fresh snow had fallen. Our poor dogs sunk through both, and, with all our precautions, their paws were sorely galled. The passage of the cascades was rendered hazardous by a number of treacherous holes in the ice, which the snow concealed. Ten miles lower down, some strong sulphur springs issue from the left bank of the river, in a narrow channel formed by an island, leaving a copious deposit on the stones over which they flow. The water was nauseous to my people; but, being accustomed to the powerful mineral springs of Strath Peffer, I took a liberal draught, which doubly whetted the keen edge of hunger. We encamped soon after, and, the snow falling very heavily, we made ourselves covered huts with pine branches, in which we considered ourselves superbly lodged.

The travelling next morning was excessively bad. The weather was cloudy, and even oppressively mild for the violent exertion of wading through deep snow; but with the dawn a cool westerly breeze sprung up, which refreshed us, and rendered the atmosphere beautifully clear. Just before breakfasting we saw, on the northern hills, a large moose and a band of five wood-buffaloes sunning their fat sides—a sight sufficient to make the mouths of pemican-eaters water;