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Along the scattered watercourses, where they
broke the thick ice to give their cattle drink, the annual autumn fires
had left but little firewood. To men, insufficiently furnished with
tents and other appliances of shelter, wood was almost a necessary of
life. After days of fatigue their nights were often passed in restless
efforts to prevent themselves from freezing. Their stock of food also
proved inadequate; and as their constitutions became more debilitated
their suffering from cold increased. Afflicted with catarrhal
affections, manacled by the fetters of dreadfully acute rheumatism, some
contrived for a while to get over the shortening day's march and drag
along some others. But the sign of an impaired circulation soon began to
show itself in the liability of all to be dreadfully frost-bitten. The
hardiest and strongest became helplessly crippled. About the same time
the strength of their draught animals began to fail. The small supply of
provender they could carry with them had given out.


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