Original - North Central Michigan College Library

Cratoelg anb 2tiitocnturchere to our mortification and dismay we foundthe lake stillopen and the ice drifting. Ourprovisions, too, on examination, were found tobe nearly expended; and nothing remained forus to do but to send back the Canadians andIndians, whose motions would be swift, for anadditional supply.In their absence the commandant, M. Cadotte,and myself, three persons in number,were left with about two pounds of pork andthree of bread for our subsistence during thethree days and perhaps four, which they wouldrequire for a journey of ninety miles. Beingappointed to act the part of commissary, Idivided the provisions into four parts, one foreach day; and to our great happiness at teno'clock on the fourth day our faithful servantsreturned. Early in the morning of the fifth weleft our encampment and proceeded. Theweather this day was exceedingly cold.We had only advanced two leagues when thecommandant found it almost wholly impossibleto go further, his feet being blistered bythe cords of the snowshoes. On this accountwe made short marches for three days; andthis loss of time threatened us anew withfamine. We were now too far from the Sault tosend back for a supply; and it was thereforedetermined that myself, accompanied by *oneof the Canadians, should go as speedily aspossible to Michilimackinac, and there informthe commanding officer of the situation of67