body, which was naked to the waist. As the man was in possession
of his mental faculties, I conceived he was performing some devotional
act preparatory to his departure, which he felt to be approaching
; and induced by the novelty of the incident, I went twice to
observe him more closely; but when he perceived that he was
noticed, he immediately ceased his operation, hung down his head,
and by his demeanour, intimated that he considered my appearance
an intrusion. The residents at the fort could give me no information
on the subject, and I could not learn that the Indians in general
observe any particular ceremony On the approach of death.
November 15.—The sky had been overcast during the last week;
the sun shone forth once only, and then not sufficiently for the purpose
of obtaining observations. Faint coruscations of the Aurora
Borealis appeared one evening, but their presence did not in the least
affect the electrometer or the compass. The ice daily became
thicker in the lake, and the frost had now nearly overpowered the
rapid current of the Saskatchawan Kiver; indeed, parties of men who
were sent from both the forts to search for the Indians, and procure
whatever skins and provisions they might have collected, crossed that
stream this day on the ice. The white partridges made their first
appearance near the house, which birds are considered as the infallible
harbingers of severe weather.
Monday, November 22.—The Saskatchawan, and every other river,
were now completely covered with ice, except a small stream not far
from the fort, through which the current ran very powerfully. In
the course of the week we removed into the house our men had
prepared since our arrival. We found it at first extremely cold notwithstanding
that a good fire was kept in each apartment, and we
frequently experienced the extremes of heat and cold on opposite
sides of the body.
November 24.—We obtained observations for the dip of the needle
and intensity of the magnetic force in a spare room. The dip was
83° 9' 45", and the difference produced by reversing the face of the
instrument 13° 3' 6". When the needle was faced to the west it hung
nearly perpendicular. The Aurora Borealis had been faintly visible
for a short time the preceding evening. Some Indians arrived in
search of provision, having been totally incapacitated from hunting
by sickness; the poor creatures looked miserably ill, and they represented
their distress to have been extreme. Few recitals are
more affecting than those of their sufferings during unfavourable
seasons, and in bad situations for hunting and fishing. Many assurances
have been given me that men and women are yet living
who have been reduced to feed upon the bodies of their own family,
to prevent actual starvation; and a shocking case was cited to us of
a woman who had been principal agent in the destruction of several
persons, and amongst the number her husband and nearest relatives,
in order to support life.
November 28.—The atmosphere had been clear every day during
the last week, about the end of which snow fell, when the thermometer
rose from 20° below to 16° above zero. The Aurora Borealis
was twice visible, but faint on both occasions. Its appearance did
not affect the electrometer, nor could we perceive the compass to
be disturbed.
The men brought supplies of moose meat from the hunter’s tent,
which is pitched near the Basquiau Hill, forty or fifty miles from
the house, and whence the greatest part of the meat is procured
The residents have to send nearly the same distance for their fish,
and on this service horse-sledges are used. Nets are daily set in
Pine Island Lake, which occasionally procure some fine sturgeon,
tittameg, and trout, but not more than sufficient to supply the
officers’ table.
December kf—This day was so remarkably fine, that we procured
another set of observations for the dip of the needle in the open air;
the instrument being placed firmly on a rock, the results gave
H 2