Our
situation was indeed distressing but in comparison with that of our
friends in the rear we thought it happy. Their condition gave us
unceasing solicitude and was the principal subject of our conversation.
Though the weather was stormy on the 26th Samandre assisted me to gather
tripe de roche. Adam, who was very ill and could not now be prevailed
upon to eat this weed, subsisted principally on bones, though he also
partook of the soup. The tripe de roche had hitherto afforded us our
chief support, and we naturally felt great uneasiness at the prospect of
being deprived of it by its being so frozen as to render it impossible
for us to gather it.
We perceived our strength decline every day and every exertion began to
be irksome; when we were once seated the greatest effort was necessary in
order to rise, and we had frequently to lift each other from our seats,
but even in this pitiable condition we conversed cheerfully, being
sanguine as to the speedy arrival of the Indians. We calculated indeed
that if they should be near the situation where they had remained last
winter our men would have reached them by this day. Having expended all
the wood which we could procure from our present dwelling, without danger
of its fall, Peltier began this day to pull down the partitions of the
adjoining houses. Though these were only distant about twenty yards yet
the increase of labour in carrying the wood fatigued him so much that by
the evening he was exhausted. On the next day his weakness was such,
especially in the arms of which he chiefly complained, that he with
difficulty lifted the hatchet; still he persevered whilst Samandre and I
assisted him in bringing in the wood, but our united strength could only
collect sufficient to replenish the fire four times in the course of the
day. As the insides of our mouths had become sore from eating the
bone-soup we relinquished the use of it and now boiled the skin, which
mode of dressing we found more palatable than frying it, as we had
hitherto done.
On the 29th Peltier felt his pains more severe and could only cut a few
pieces of wood. Samandre, who was still almost as weak, relieved him a
little time and I aided them in carrying in the wood. We endeavoured to
pick some tripe de roche but in vain as it was entirely frozen. In
turning up the snow, in searching for bones, I found several pieces of
bark which proved a valuable acquisition as we were almost destitute of
dry wood proper for kindling the fire. We saw a herd of reindeer sporting
on the river about half a mile from the house; they remained there a long
time but none of the party felt themselves strong enough to go after
them, nor was there one of us who could have fired a gun without resting
it.
