of a small lake, perhaps about half a mile wide, where there was plenty of trout, which old Clifton, who was good at angling, caught in abundance. Here, in a conference on the subject, it was resolved that two persons of the party, Clifton and M'Konkey, should remain (with about one half of the provisions), until the return of our main body, calculating the return would be in eight or ten days.

By the next evening we encamped on the north bank of the Dead River, an extension of the Kennebec. The company, not apprehending the reverses which fortune had in store for them, proceeded on next day full of courage and hope, through a strong drift of snow, which whitening all the surrounding hills, had fallen during the night.

As we could not obtain food, in this miserable portion of the globe, we pru. dently began to hoard our provision; half a biscuit and half an inch square of raw pork became this evening's meal. The day's journey had brought us to the foot of a rapid, which convinced us that the term "Dead River," was much misapplied. The night was spent, not upon feathers, but on the branches of the fir or the spruce. It would astonish you, my dear children, if there was leisure to explain the many comforts and advantages those trees afford to the way-worn traveler.

In a few days, October 7th, we came to a succession of ponds at the head of Dead River, and in some cases the communication being shallow we were obliged to carry our canoes from one to the other. My wardrobe was light and scanty, and as winter was approaching I suffered from the piercing cold. About three P. M. the next day, we reached the extreme end of the fifth and last lake, where we obtained a full view of those hills which were then, and are now, called the "Height of Land." It made an impression upon us, that was really more chilling than the air which surrounded us. We hurried ashore-drew out our canoes, and covered them with leaves and brush-wood. This done, with our arms in our hands, and our provision in our pockets, we made a race across the mountain, by an Indian path, easily ascertainable, until we arrived on the bank of the Chaudiere River. The distance is about five miles, counting the rising and descent of the hill as two. This was the acme of our desires. To discover and know the course of this river, was the extent of our orders: beyond it, we had nothing to do. Our chief, wishing to do everything a good officer could to forward the service, asked if any one could climb a tree, around the foot of which we then stood? It was a pine of considerable height, without branches for forty feet; Robert Cunningham, a strong athletic man, about twenty-five years old, presented himself. In almost the twinkling of an eye he climbed the tree. He fully discerned the meandering course of the river, as upon a map, and even descried the lake Chaudiere, at the distance of fourteen or fifteen miles. The country around and between us and the lake was flat. Looking westward, he observed a smoke; intimating this to us from the tree where he sat we plainly perceived it. Cunningham came down; the sun was setting seemingly in a clear sky.

Now our return commenced and rapidly we ran in a single file, and it so happened that your farther brought up the rear. Soon the rain began to pour in torrents, the night became dark as pitch, and in crossing a ridge my foot caught in a root or a twig, and I fell I know not how far, perhaps twenty or

thirty feet. Stunned by the fall, the others had got far ahead ere I recovered myself. My arrival at the canoe place was delayed thereby until ten o'clock, an hour and a half after my companions, who had erected a wigwam of poles covered by branches of fir. Sleep came to my eyes, notwithstanding the drippings of the pelting storm through the humble roof.

our canoes.

We arose before day. The canoes were urged suddenly into the water; still rained hard, and at daylight we thought of breakfasting. Gracious God! what was our fare? What could we produce for such a feast? Rummaging my breeches pockets, I found a solitary biscuit and an inch of pork. Half of the biscuit was devoted to the breakfast, and so also by each person, and that was consumed in the canoes as we paddled over the lake. The rain had raised the lake, and consequently the outlets about four feet. We slided glibly along, over passages where a few days previously, we had toted At the outlet of the fourth lake, counting as we came up, a small duck appeared within shooting distance. It was a diver, well known in our country-a thing which we here contemn. Knowing the value of animal food, in our predicament, several of us fired at the diver. Jesse Wheeler, however (who all acknowledged as an excellent shot), struck it with his ball. A shout of joy arose the little diver was safely deposited in our canoe. We went on quickly, without accident, till the evening, probably traversing a space of more than forty miles. At night-fall we halted, weary and without tasting food since morning. Boyd and Cunningham, whơ were right-hand-men on most occasions, soon kindled a fire against a fallen tree. The cooks, according to routine, picked the duck, and when picked and gutted, it was brought to the fireside. Here it became a question, how to make the most of our stock of provisions. Finally, it was concluded to boil the duck in our camp-kettle, together with each man's bit of pork, distinctively marked by running a small skewer of wood through it, with his particular and private designation; that the broth thus formed, should bo the supper, and the duck on the ensuing morning should be the breakfast, and which should be distributed by "whose shall be this ?" Strange as this tale may appear to you, in these times, the agreement was religiously performed. Being young, my appetite was ravenous as that of a wolf, but honor bound the stomach tightly. We rose early, and each person selected his bit of pork, which made but a single mouthful;-there was no controversy. The diver was parted most fairly, into ten shares, each one eyeing the integrity of the division. Setting out early, by the evening we made nearly fifty miles. The bit of pork and the rest of the biscuit became my supper. My colleagues were similarly situated. The morning sun saw us without any food. We did not despond. The consolatory idea, that on that, or the next day, we should certainly join the army, infused energy into our minds and bodies. The succeeding morning (11th), starting early, we ran at a monstrous rate. The waters, by additional rains above, had risen greatly. After some time, the light canoe, several hundred yards before us, (with Steele and Getchel in it), passed between the forks of a tree, which lay rooted in the middle of the stream, where most likely it had lain for many years. Seeing our friends pass through safely, and being unconscious that we were worse or less adventurous watermen than they were, we risked it. We ran with great velocity. My good Irishman steered. By an un

lucky stroke, one of the prongs of the tree took the right hand side of the canoe, within six inches of the bow, immediately below the gunwale. Quick as lightning that side of the canoe was laid open from stem to stern, and water was gushing in upon us, which would inevitably have sunk us in a second of time, but for that interference of Providence, which is atheistically called presence of mind, otherwise a host of men could not have saved us from a watery grave. Instinctively leaning to the left, we sunk the gunwale of that side down to the water's edge, by which we raised the broken side an inch or more out of it. Calling loudly to our companions ahead, they soon saw our distress and put in. Carefully and steadily sitting, and gently paddling many hundred yards, we landed safely. Our situation was truly horrible. When we had examined the broken canoe, and had rummaged both for the means of mending it, every heart seemed dismayed. Our birch-bark and pitch, had been exhausted in former repairs,—we were without food,-perhaps one hundred miles from the army, or perhaps that army had returned to New England. That sensation of the mind called "the horrors,” seemed to prevail. Getchel alone was really sedate and reflective. He ordered the other guide to search for birch-bark, whilst he would look among the pines for turpentine. We followed the one or the other of these worthies, according to our inclinations, and soon returned with those desirable materials. The cedar root was in plenty under our feet. Now a difficulty occurred, which had been unforeseen, and which was seemingly destructive of all hope. This was the want of fat or oil of every kind, with which to make the turpentine into pitch. A lucky thought occurred to the youngest of the company, that the pork bag, lay empty and neglected, in one of the canoes. The thought and the act of bringing it were instantaneous. The bag was ripped, and as if it had been so much gold dust, we scraped from it about a pint of dirty fat. Getchel now prepared an abundance of pitch. The cedar root gave us twine. The canoe was brought up to the fire. We found every rib except a few at the extreme points, actually torn from the gunwale. All hands set to work-two hours afterward, the canoe was borne to the water.

We embarked, and proceeding cautiously, as we thought, along the shore, a snag, standing up stream, struck through the bottom of the canoe. It took an hour to patch the gap. The cup of sorrow was not yet full. As the men were bearing the wounded canoe to the water, sergeant Boyd who paddled in the small canoe, which was drawn up as usual, taking hold of the bow raised it waist high (as was right) intending to slide it gently into the water-the bank was steep and slippery : Mr. Boyd's feet slipped-the canoe fell from his hands--its own weight falling upon the cavity, formed by the declivity of the bank and the water-broke it in the center, into two pieces, and which were held together by nothing but the gunwales. Now absolute despair for the first time seized me. A thought came across my mind, that the Almighty had destined us to die of hunger, in this inhospitable wilderThe recollection of my parents, my brothers and sister, and the clandestine and cruel manner of my deserting them, drew from me some hidden, yet burning tears, and much mental contrition. Getchel thoughtful and active, instantly went to work. The canoe was brought to the fire, and placed in a proper posture for the operation. The lacerated parts were neatly

ness.

brought together, and sewed with cedar root. A large ridge of pitch, as is customary in the construction of this kind of water-craft, was laid over the seam to make it water-tight. Over the seam a patch of strong bark a foot in width, and of a length sufficient to encircle the bottom, even to the gunwales, was sewed down at the edges and pitched. Again, over the whole of the work, it was thought prudent to place our pork bag, which was well saturated with liquid fat. It was a full yard wide, and was laid down in the same manner. This work, which was laborious, nearly consumed the rest of the day.

We set out notwithstanding the lateness of the hour. Hunger drove us along at a cautious but rapid rate. About dusk the lieutenant's canoe, four hundred yards before us, had within view turned a sharp point of land, when we heard the crack of a rifle, and presently another, and a huzza. Apprehending an attack from an enemy, we pulled hard to be enabled to sustain our friends. In a moment or two, observing them pulling for the north shore, which was steep, we looked up it for the enemy. Good Heavens! what a sight! We saw a moose-deer, falling on the top of the bank. A cry of exultation seemed to burst the narrow valley of the river. Steele had struck the deer in the flank, as it was leaving the water, but it sprung up the bank with agility. Wheeler, with better fortune for us all, pierced its heart as it arrived at the top. Seeing this you can scarcely imagine the celerity of our movements. We were ashore in a moment. A fire was kindled, the secondary guide cut off the nose and upper lip of the animal, instantly, and had it on the fire. What a feast! But we were prudent. We sat up all night, selecting the fat and tit-bits-frying, boiling, roasting and broiling, but carefully eating little at a time. Toward morning, we slept a few hours, absolutely careless of consequences. We knew that we had arrived in a land where game was plentiful, and where there were no foes superior to our number, to oppose us. The next day we shot a moose and a large gray wolf; and on the morning of the 13th arrived at our first camping ground on the "Dead River," in good health and spirits; though pallid and weak, for the want of substantial food in due quantity.

By this time the fat and marrow of the animals we had killed were exhausted, and our stock of salt had been long since expended. One who has never been deprived of bread and salt, nor known the absence of oleaginous substances in his food, cannot make a true estimate of the invaluable benefits of such ingredients in the sustenation of the bodily frame; nor of the extremity of our corporeal debility.

It was immediately concluded to preserve our provisions by jerking or smoking. This operation is done by slicing the meat into thin strips; then driving four forks into the earth, in a square position, at the required distance perpendicularly, and laying poles from fork to fork, and poles athwart from pole to pole. A rack is thus made, about four feet high, on which the sliced meat is laid, and smoke-fires are made underneath; this duty was soon performed. We now began to look about us, and discuss the subject of our return to the army, which we had, before this time, persuaded ourselves we should meet at this place. The non-appearance of the army and our distress, induced a conclusion that we were deserted, and abandoned to a disastrous fate, the inevitable result of which would be, a sinking into

eternity for the want of food, for though we might have killed more deer, the vigor of our bodies was so reduced, that we were convinced that that kind of food could not restore us to our wonted energy, and enable us to perform so rugged and long a march, as that to the frontiers of Maine. The notion of navigating the river was scouted as a fallacy, because we did not possess a sufficient degree of bodily force to bear the canoes across the twelve-mile carrying-place. As, in the case of the retreat of the army, we had determined to follow, it became requisite to finish the jerking, which would take six days, to make it the more portable, for our feebleness, and preservable if we should have wet weather on the march. It was further concluded, "that Lieutenant Steele, Getchel and Wheeler, should immediately proceed on foot across the twelve-mile carrying-place, to meet the army: if they did meet it, that they should return to us with supplies by the end of three days, but in all events to return.”

Now we experienced the full extent of a new species of starving. Having neither bread, nor salt, nor fat of any kind, every day we remained here we became more and more weak and emaciated. We had plenty of meat, both fresh and dried, of which we ate four, five and six times a day, in every shape we had the means of dressing it. Though we gorged the stomach, the appetite was unsatiated. Something like a diarrhea ensued, which contributed to the imbecility of our bodies. Bears-oil would have made our venison savory, but such an animal as a bear we had as yet not seen in all our wanderings. On the evening of the fourth day, we looked out for our absent companions with much heartfelt anxiety. They came not. In the morning of the next day, we consulted upon the question whether we should follow the army. A majority voted for staying a few days longer to complete the jerking. To show you the great bodily weakness we were brought to, it may be proper to relate the following anecdote as more evincive of the fact, than any other method which might be adopted, to bring it fully to your minds. Sergeant Boyd (the strongest and stoutest man of the party, and perhaps of the army) and myself, taking our arms, started on in hopes of meeting the advance of the army. We staggered along through the plain, falling every now and then, if our toes but touched a twig or tuft of grass. Thus going forward, we arrived at the edge of a moss-bog. Here my worthy friend Boyd, unable to proceed, sunk down upon a log. My seat, in tears of excruciating grief, was taken beside him, endeavoring to infuse comfort and courage into his manly mind-it was in vain. The debility of his body had disarmed his courageous soul. Every art in my power was exercised to induce him to pass the bog-he would not listen to me on that subject. Melancholy of the desperate kind oppressed me. Convinced that the army had retreated, a prognostication resulted in my mind, that we should all die of mere debility in these wilds. We sat here an hour. At length we agreed to return to our camp, though it was yet early in the afternoon. Our companions were pleased to see us, thinking our coming so soon indicated good news, but a gloom of desperation followed. As a last effort to save our lives, we all agreed to pass the river the next morning and follow the army, which we were now assured had returned to Fort Western. Each one put into his knapsack, as much of our mawkish food, as he could conveniently carry.