Adventure and adventurers > Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America

254 LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL.
After this a regular course of high winds commenced,
which retarded us very much, and gave us much un¬
easiness as well as annoyance. A good idea of the
harassing nature of our voyage across Lake Winipeg
may be obtained from the following page or two of my
journal, as I wrote it on the spot:—
Monday, %5ih August.—The wind having moderated
this morning, we left the encampment at an early hour,
and travelled uninterruptedly till nearly eight o’clock,
when it began to blow so furiously that we were obliged
to run ashore and encamp. All day the gale continued,
but in the evening it moderated, and we were enabled
to proceed a good way ere night closed in.
Tuesday, 26th.—Kain fell in torrents during the night.
The wind, too, was high, and we did not leave our en¬
campment till after breakfast. We made a good day’s
journey, however, travelling about forty miles; and at
night pitched our tents on a point of rock, the only
camping-place, as our guide told us, within ten miles.
No dry ground was to be found in the vicinity, so we
were fain to sleep upon the flattest rock we could find,
with only one blanket under us. This bed, however,
was not so disagreeable as might be imagined; its prin¬
cipal disadvantage being that, should it happen to rain,
the water, instead of sinking into the ground, forms a
little pond below you, deep or shallow, according to the
hollowness or flatness of the rock on which you repose.
Wednesday, 27th.—Set out early this morning, and
travelled till noon, when the wind again drove us ashore,
where we remained, in no very happy humour, all day.
Mr. Bain and I played the flute for pastime.