Volume 1

114 PROGRESS OF THIS VOYAGE.
I saw plenty of buffalo on the plains, but my shoes would
not permit me to go after them. Although I killed
enough provisions yesterday to last us a month, to-day we
are without a mouthful, so very improvident are people in
this country. This morning we had embarked a lot of
stock, but it soon got wet, and afterward muddy ; we left it
at the first place we put ashore to gum, thinking we should
get plenty more for supper. I went out hunting along the
beach, but returned with only an eagle, which we roasted.
The wind came on a mere " hurricane from the N., very
cold, with light snow, and we could find no shelter from the
storm. Having no ax our fire was soon blown away, and
we passed a very disagreeable night, shivering with the
cold. I was angry with my men for having lost the ax.
Oct. loth. As soon as I could see my way I went hunting
along the beach, where I required no shoes. But as
if the wild fowl were combined against us, not one was
to be seen. At twelve o'clock my man arrived with the
horse, which he did not overtake until he reached the
fort. Having brought some gum with him, we repaired
the canoe as best we could ; but she was such a miserable
crazy machine she could hardly support her own weight.
At two o'clock the two men embarked ;
the wind still
strong ahead and very cold. I mounted my horse and
went hunting on the plains, where I soon killed a buffalo.
I brought a small load of meat to Two Rivers, made a
fire, and waited for the canoe. She arrived late, half-full
of water. They had put ashore, and used all the gum to
no purpose ; she was as leaky as before. Here we camped.
I determined to proceed by land to-morrow. The men had
no good shoes, but they repaired the old ones the best
'o " A mere hurricane " strikes us as a curious phrase. But that is because we
have almost lost sight of the original meaning of mere, which prevailed with
little or no modification at the time Henry wrote. Etymologically the word
signifies " pure," " unmixed," " unqualified," and the like, whence it came to
denote what we now mean when we say " sheer," "utter," " complete," etc., or
use " very " as an adjective.