Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p2.djvu/421

 once at –57&deg;; and sometimes passing two or three days without tasting food.”

“On quitting Fort Enterprise, with Mr. Wentzel and two Canadians, accompanied by two hunters and their wives, our route lay across the barren hills. We saw during the day a number of deer, and occasionally a solitary white wolf; and in the evening halted near a small knot of pines. Owing to the slow progress made by the wives of the hunters, we only travelled the first day a distance of seven miles and a half. During the night we had a glimpse of the fantastic beauties of the aurora borealis, and were somewhat annoyed by the wolves, whose nightly howling interrupted our repose. Early the next morning we continued our march, sometimes crossing small lakes (which were just frozen enough to bear us), and at other times going large circuits in order to avoid those which were open. The walking was extremely bad throughout the day; for independently of the general unevenness of the ground, and the numberless large stones which lay scattered in every direction, the unusual warmth of the weather had dissolved the snow, which not only kept us constantly wet, but deprived us of a firm footing; so that the men, with their heavy burdens, were in momentary apprehension of falling. In the afternoon a fine herd of deer was descried, and the Indians, who are always anxious for the chase, and can hardly be restrained from pursuing every animal which they see, set out immediately. It was late when they returned, having had good success, and bringing with them five tongues and the shoulder of a deer. We made about twelve miles this day. The night was fine, and the aurora borealis so vivid, that we imagined, more than once, that we heard a rustling noise like that of autumnal leaves stirred by the wind; but after two hours of attentive listening we were not entirely convinced of the fact. The coruscations were not so bright, nor the transition from one shape and colour to another, so rapid, as they sometimes are, otherwise I have no doubt, from the midnight silence which prevailed, that we should have ascertained this yet undecided point.

“The morning of the 20th was so extremely hazy that we could not see ten yards before us; it was therefore late when we started; and during our journey the hunters complained of the weather, and feared they should lose the track of our route. Towards the evening it became so thick that we could not proceed; consequently we halted in a small wood, situated in a valley, after having only completed a distance of six miles. The scenery consisted of high hills, which were almost destitute of trees; and lakes appeared in the valleys. The cracking of the ice was so loud during the night as to resemble thunder, and the wolves howled round us. We were now at the commencement of the woods; and at an early hour on the 21st, continued our journey over high hills for three miles, when the appearance of some deer caused us to halt,