In the afternoon of the following day Belanger arrived with a note from Mr.Back stating that he had seen no trace of the Indians, and desiring further instructions as to the course he should pursue.

Belanger's situation however required our first care as he came in almost speechless and covered with ice, having fallen into a rapid and, for the third time since we left the coast, narrowly escaped drowning.

He did not recover sufficiently to answer our questions until we had rubbed him for some time, changed his dress, and given him some warm soup.

My companions nursed him with the greatest kindness and the desire of restoring him to health seemed to absorb all regard for their own situation.

I witnessed with peculiar pleasure this conduct, so different from that which they had recently pursued when every tender feeling was suspended by the desire of self-preservation.
They now no longer betrayed impatience or despondency but were composed and cheerful and had entirely given up the practice of swearing, to which the Canadian voyagers are so lamentably addicted.