Original - North Central Michigan College Library

This day, the twenty-fifth, we found theborders of the plains reaching to the verybanks of the river, which were two hundredfeet above the level of the ice. Water markspresented themselves at twenty feet above theactual level.Want had lost its dominion over us. At noonwe saw the horns of a red deer standing in thesnow on the river. On examination we foundthat the whole carcass was with them, theanimal having broken through the ice in thebeginning of the winter ia^attempting to crossthe river too early in the season; while hishorns, fastening themselves in the ice, hadprevented him from sinking. By cutting awaythe ice we were enabled to lay bare a part ofthe back and shoulders and thus procure astock of food amplysufficient for the rest ofour journey. We accordingly encamped andemployed our kettle to good purpose, forgotall our misfortunes, and prepared to walk withcheerfulness the twenty leagues which, as wereckoned, still lay between ourselves and Fortdes Prairies.Though the deer must have been in thissituation ever since the month of November,yet its flesh was perfectly good. Its horns alonewere five feet high or it will thereforenot appear extraordinary that they shouldmoreyandbe seen above the snow.On the twenty-seventh, in the morning, wediscovered the print of snowshoes, demon-264