The register. (Monroe, La.) 185?-1861, 1860-03-22
A Terrible Tale--LOst and Frozen
to Death ON the Prairies,

Inc st. Paul's Minnesotian and Times, 10th
Inst, extracts from the Nor Wester, published
at the Red River Settlements, a sad narrative.
party, including Mr.. McKenzie started from
Georgetown, at the mouth of the Bnffalo river
to cross the Prairie to Fort Larry. They start
cd December 20, taking mules. The latter
gave out in three days-dstance only half
done, and provisions getting short. Here they
were hopeless; in the heart of vast, dreary.
unknown prairie, in a cold, bleak month, far
beyond the reach of oil sympathy and aid,
with starvation staring them in the face. On
Thursday, the 2sth, Mr.. Mckenzie resolved to
reach Pembina, and send back succor. The
engineer accompanied him. The day was cold
and stormy, and a bitter blast from the North
drove them back. They all camped together
that night near Pine river, about fifty miles
from Pembina. In the morning Mckenzie
started again. alone. He had presentment
that he would not get through. He wore but
one thin coat, and was lightly clad through
out, wishing to be as little burdened with
clothes as possible, as be intended to run most
OF the way. A bit Of pemican, the size Of his
fist, was all his food. On Monday morning
David TAFT pushed ahead, and reached Penn
bina the same evening. Mr.. NJ, had not been
there. MS
Two men were sent and they fell in withsthe
remnant of the party shortly after midnight on
Tuesday, and after supplying their most urgent
needs, went off in search of Mckenzie. On
Wednesday they came upon traces which soon
brought them to his corpse. After leaving his
companions, he seemed to have followed the
trail for considerable distance, and then to
have lost his way. Night came upon him, and,
bewildercd by the growing darkness, and the
drifting snow, he made towards clump of
trees, with the intention, probably, Of kindling
fire. If such was his object, he seemed to
have been unable to accomplish it; aud his
beaten track showed that to keep himself from
freezing, he had spent the hours of that lonely
night in running round in circle. With the
break Of day, he again started across the track
less waste, every step that he took carrying
him further and further from the spot which be
was stralning every nerve to reach. Another
weary day Of fruitless travel was followed by
second night even more dreary than the first.
Again he had managed to stave off what he
must have felt to have been the hour Of his
dissolution by long hours of ccascless activity.
A third days journey brought him towards
Lac dcs Roscaux. Here he attempted to run
round as before. But the strength and cour.
age which be had heretofore sustained now
forsook him.
lie dragged his tired footsteps through the
the loose snow towards a tree, from which hi
plucked branch and hung thereon a shred o
his tattercd coat as signal to mark his dis
NAL resting place; he next tore off anothe
branch Of the same tree, which he placed as
pillow for his cold bed and then laid upon j
his weary head and died. His right hand wa
upon his heart, and bis left hung by his side
firmly holding a compass. The body gave in
60 dications Of having undergone great suffering
Some portions of it had been frozen an
thawed many times in succession, before deaf
interviewed aud released it from further ar