‘I stated in my last communication that the captain of the “Propeller” had engaged to be ready to start from the Sault river on the evening of Thursday, the 4th inst.; but about four o’clock that afternoon a gale commenced that rendered it impossible for the boats to continue to take the freight on board, and eventually swamped a scow that we had engaged for the purpose. The wind did not abate sufficiently to allow us to assume our operations till the Friday following; and we completed the embarkation of men and stores on that day. Just however as we were about to start, a fresh delay occurred, arising from a dispute between the captain of the vessel and the engineer, who being the only one left at the Sault, felt himself at liberty to make his own terms, and who refused to go at all unless he got 237 dollars for his trip, paid in advance. The captain refused to give it him, and at one time it seemed very doubtful whether we should not be obliged to return again to the Hudson’s bay Company’s Fort. This settled, we started about seven P.M. to a place about seven miles up the river, called Wood Dock, where we were to take in more wood, it having been found impossible to provide a sufficient quantity at the Sault. On arriving there we found that the ice had collected in such quantities in the bay that it was impossible to approach the “Propeller” to the wharf. After making a variety of attempts to cut through the ice, carry the boats on &c. to no purpose we were obliged to give it up for that night. ‘The following morning we managed to land nearly the whole of the troops, by pulling them round the ice to a place where the wind and current had broken it up sufficiently to allow us to get through. Carrying the wood from the wharf to the boats and thence to the ship occupied about eight hours; and we did not get under weigh again until about four P.M. ‘During the whole of the time we had been thus delayed, the weather had been perfectly fair; but we had scarcely started when a wind sprang up, which gradually increased to such a height, that the funnel was bent, one of the stays gave way, the stove and everything else in the cabin was overturned, and the binnacle and compass upset and rolled about the deck.