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.
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