the early part of the night.

The Bonne Chere river is very rapid in the upper part, and does not
"set fast"[1] until late in the season, unless the cold be very intense.
I arrived at this part soon after night-fall, and perceiving by the
clear light of the moon the dangers in my way, I deemed it imprudent
to proceed farther; and having nothing to strike fire with, I cut a
few branches of balsam and strewed them under the spreading boughs of
a large cedar, and wrapping myself up in my blanket, lay down. The
weather being mild, I thought I could sleep comfortably without fire;
but was mistaken. When I awoke from my first sleep, which must have
been sound, I found my limbs stiff with cold, while my teeth chattered
violently in my head. To remain in this condition till daylight was
almost certain death; I resolved, therefore, at all hazards to find my
way to the shanty, which might be about ten miles distant. The light
of the moon being very bright, enabled me to avoid the openings in the
ice, and by moving on cautiously, about three o'clock in the morning I
reached the shanty; which belonged to a warm-hearted son of Erin, who
received me with the characteristic hospitality of his countrymen,
placing before me the best his cabin afforded, and with his own
blankets and those of his men making up a comfortable bed, on which I
slept till late in the day, and next night in my own bed.

[1] Freeze.

As the greater part of my customers wintered in the vicinity of the
outpost, and I had no longer any confidence in the person in charge
there, I resolved on passing the remainder of the winter at it myself;
I therefore requested that a person should be sent up from the Lake of
Two Mountains to take care of the establishment during my absence. On