322 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES
which was so opposite to the promise of exertion he had made, on
quitting Fort Enterprise. He offered many excuses, but finding
they were not satisfactory, admitted that the greater part of the
ammunition had been given to those who accompanied the women
to the Beth-see-to, and promised to behave better in future. I then
told him, that I intended in future to give them ammunition only
in proportion to the meat which was brought in, and that we should
commence upon that plan, by supplying him with fifteen balls, and
each of the hunters with ten.
The number of our hunters was now reduced to five, as two of the
most active declined going any further, their father, who thought
himself dying, having solicited them to remain and close his eyes.
These five were furnished with ammunition, and sent forward to
hunt on the south border of the lake, with directions to place any
meat they might procure near the edge of the lake, and set up
marks to guide us to the spots. Akaitcho, his brother, the guide
and three other men, remained to accompany us. We were much
surprised to perceive an extraordinary difference in climate in so
short an advance to the northward as fifty miles. The snow here
was lying in large patches on the hills. The dwarf-birch and
willows were only just beginning to open their buds, which had
burst forth at Fort Enterprise many days before our departure.
Vegetation seemed to be three weeks or a month later here than
at that place. We had heavy showers of rain through the night
of the 22d, which melted the snow, and visibly wasted the ice.
On the 23d, the men were busily employed in making their trains,
and in pounding the meat for pemmican. The situation of the
encampment was ascertained, latitude 65° 12 40 N., longitude 113
8' 25" W., and the variation 43° 4' 20" E. The arrangements being
completed, we purposed commencing our journey next morning,
but the weather was too stormy to venture upon the lake with the