The weather was extremely cloudy with occasional falls of snow which tended greatly to impede our progress from its gathering in lumps between the dogs' toes; and though they did not go very fast yet my left knee pained me so much that I found it difficult to keep up with them.

At three P.M.we halted within nine miles of the Salt River and made a hearty meal of mouldy pemmican.
December 28 and 29.
We had much difficulty in proceeding owing to the poor dogs being quite worn out and their feet perfectly raw.

We endeavoured to tie shoes on them to afford them some little relief but they continually came off when amongst deep snow so that it occupied one person entirely to look after them.

In this state they were hardly of any use among the steep ascents of the portages, when we were obliged to drag the sledges ourselves.

We found a few of the rapids entirely frozen.