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7

stand to walk much farther. They replied that if there was the slightest chance of finding the Koraks in the storm they would go without pay.

The next morning our provisions being reduced to 10 fish and a few pounds of hard bread, and our dog food being entirely exhausted, and the storm still raging we could not advance against it, or lie still. I reluctantly turned my back upon it, fully appreciating the consequence of not being able to procure a supply of meat. That day we traveled but 12 miles dragging the sleds ourselves, and but for Illia's team, would have had to abandon the articles I too to trade with the Koraks. 

We at the last of our fish that night, and the next morning, though it was snowing heavily, we made an early start, our snow shoes sinking six inches into the wet snow in the morning, but in the afternoon it cleared up, and the snow hardened so that we were able to reach the station at 10 P.M. having walked 40 miles during the day. Mr Norton and four of his men had arrived two days before. Another two members of his party remaining at the Oreofka, unwilling to undertake the walk.

Two days after my return the sleds left for Markova, and I sent Mr Seammon up with them on snow shoes, to send down three deer, which had come from Penjina some time before, and also to hurry off