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Show 186 JOURNAL OF A VOYAG~ which bounded the foot of the mountain, and as there was no wood or water where we were, and the woods from the skirts of the tnountaim; appeared to be at no great distanc ', I thought proper to march for it ; in the middle of said prairie, crossed the creek, which now bore cast. I-Iere we all got our feet wet. The night comtnencl'd extremely cold. When we halted at the woods, at eight o'clock, for encampment ; after getting fires made, we discovered that the feet of nine of 'our men were frozen, and to add to the misfortune, of both of thos , '"hom we called hunters among the number. 'This night we had no provision. Reaumer's thermometer stood at 18 1-2° below o. Distance 28 nules. 18/ b January, Sunday .-W c started two of the men least injured; (the doctor and n1yself, who fortunately were untouched by the frost) also went out to hunt something to preserve existence, near evening we wounded a buffalo with three balls, but had the rnortification to see him run off notwithstanding. We concluded it was uscless to go home to adJ to the general gloom, and went amongst some rocks where we encamped anu sat up all night ; fron1 the intense cold it was impossible to sleep. Ilungry and without cover. l9tb JanumJ', Monday.-W e again took the field and after crawling about one mile in the snow, got to shoot eight times among a gang of buffalo, and could plainly perceive two or thr~c to be badly wounded, but by accident they took the wind of us, and to our great mortification all were able to rnn off. By this tin1c I had become extremely weak anll f~tint, being the fourth day, since wr had reCL~ived sust nance; all of which we were marching hard and the last night had scarcely closeu our eyes to sleep. vV e were inclining our course to a point of woods determined to remain abs nt and die by om·scl res rather TO TTIE SOURCES OF THE A H K :\ NSA \ V, &c. l 87 than to return to our can1p and behold the misery of our poor lads, when we discovered a gang of bu!Edo coming along at some distance. With great exertions I maue out to run and place myself behind some cedars anu by the greatest of good luck, the first shot stopped one, which we killed in three n1ore shots ; and by the dusk had cut each of us a heavy load with which we determined immediately to proceed to the camp in order to relieve the anx. icty of our men, and carry the poor fellows some food. \N e arrived there about 12 o'clock, and when I threw my load down, it was with diiliculty I prevented myself from falling; I was attacked with a giduiness of the head, which lasted for some minutes. On the countcnauces of the men was not a frown, nor a desponding eye ; but all scctn ed happy to hail their officer and companions, yet not a mouthful had they cat for lour days. On dem:.muing what was their thoughts, the St'rgcant replied, on the nlorrow the most robust had determined to set out in search of us; and not r eturn unle s they found us, or killed something to preserve the life of their starving compamons. 20th January, T uesday.-The doctor anu all the men able to march, r eturned to the buffalo to bring in the balance of the meat. On examining the feet of those who were frozen we found it impossible for two of them to proceed, and two othcrl:; only without loads by the help of a stick. One of the fanner was tny waiter, a promising young lad of twenty whose feet w re so badly frozen, as to present -every probability of loosing them. The doctor and party returned towards evening Ioaul'd \vith the bufE1.lo n1eat. 21st January, vVcdncsday.-This day, separated the four loads, we intended to leave and took them at <\nnw dj';_... |
