On Proceeding Our Men Were Somewhat
Cheered By Observing On The Sandy Summit Of A Hill, From Whence The Snow
Had Been Blown, The Summer Track Of A Man, And Afterwards By Seeing
Several Deer Tracks On The Snow.
About noon the weather cleared up a
little and, to our great joy, we saw a herd of musk-oxen grazing in a
valley below us.
The party instantly halted and the best hunters were
sent out; they approached the animals with the utmost caution, no less
than two hours being consumed before they got within gunshot. In the
meantime we beheld their proceedings with extreme anxiety, and many
secret prayers were doubtless offered up for their success. At length
they opened their fire and we had the satisfaction of seeing one of the
largest cows fall; another was wounded but escaped. This success infused
spirit into our starving party. To skin and cut up the animal was the
work of a few minutes. The contents of the stomach were devoured upon the
spot, and the raw intestines which were next attacked were pronounced by
the most delicate amongst us to be excellent. A few willows whose tops
were seen peeping through the snow in the bottom of the valley were
quickly grubbed, the tents pitched, and supper cooked and devoured with
avidity. This was the sixth day since we had had a good meal, the tripe
de roche, even where we got enough, only serving to allay the pangs of
hunger for a short time.
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