slaughter is generally considerable. During their stay at this place, the author and his suite visited first a Cree encampment, in which they were favorably received; and next a buffalo-pound, in which the animals are secured somewhat in the manner practised with the elephants in Ceylon. The Indians likewise shew considerable dexterity and run no small risk in hunting the buffalo on horseback, even when the thermometer indicates 30° or 40° below zero.-Carlton House is pleasantly situated in lat. 52° 50′ 47′′ N., and in long. 106° 12′ 42′′ W., encompassed by a fertile land, which yields ample returns of wheat, barley, oats, and potatoes. Beyond the steep bank behind the house, stretches an immense plain towards the sources of the Missouri; being, in the whole of that range, seldom interrupted by hills or even rising grounds, and affording abundant pasture to many grazing animals.

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In this part of the journal are inserted some observations by Dr. Richardson on bronchocele, or goître, which are so far valuable as they prove that this disorder is not caused by drink ing snow-water. 'Burnt sponge has been tried, and found to remove the disease, but an exposure to the same cause immediately re-produces it.' This cause, we are led to infer, is the drinking of river-water impregnated with calcareous matter.

The gentlemen having recovered from the pains and swellings occasioned by the march from Cumberland, they resumed their journey on the 8th of February. In a few days the weather became considerably milder, to which comfort was frequently added the accommodation of a beaten track; and on the 17th they arrived at the Company's post at Green Lake, where they were kindly received by Mr. Macfarlane, and Mr. Cameron, of the north-west establishment. A similar reception awaited them at Isle à la Crosse, where they halted on the evening of the 23d. The lake in which this island is situated is celebrated for the abundance of delicate tittameg, or white fish, (Coregonus albus,) which are caught with nets during the greatest part of the year, and weigh from five to fifteen pounds. Here much valuable information and much kind assistance were received from Mr. Clark, an experienced northern traveller, who had resided some years on Mackenzie's River. Not satisfied with procuring the requisite accommodations for recommencing the journey on the 5th of March, he accompanied the travellers until the 13th, when he took leave on the banks of the Methye Lake. The flat plains now gave place to picturesque ranges of hills, commanding the most romantic prospects. At one spot, termed the Cockscomb, the passenger stands insulated as it were on a small slip, whence a false step might precipitate

him into the glen.' In descending from these heights, the dogs were taken from the sledges, and the latter were guided by the men, who could with difficulty arrest their rapid career. The 17th brought the travellers to the banks of the Athabasca, or Elk River, which is about two miles broad, and, includes various islands. Little that is worthy of notice occurred till the 26th, when the wanderers reached Chipewyan; where they met with the most kind and hospitable reception from Messrs. Keith and Black, of the North-West Company. At this station, much satisfactory intelligence was obtained relative to the countries which remained to be traversed, and other matters connected with the ulterior objects of the expedition. In the course of his investigations, Capt. Franklin came in contact with the step-son of Matonnabee, who had accompanied Hearne on his journey to the sea: but, as he was then a mere boy, he had forgotten most of the circumstances. His statements, however, substantially coincided with those of Hearne; and he was positive that they had reached the sea, though none of them tasted the water.

The forts of Chipewyan and Wedderburn are the principal posts of the two companies in this department; and they are con veniently placed for communicating with the Slave and Peace Rivers. Here Spring burst on the travellers, as if by enchant ment; verdure, foliage, and blossoms, almost instantaneously succeeding the disappearance of the snow. That portion of the Athabasca Lake which is near the establishment is called the Lake of Hills, the northern shore and islands being high, and rocky.-The Chipewyan, or northern Indians, who resort to the settlements, are reserved, selfish, and regardless even of the duties of hospitality: but they are not destitute of affection to their kindred; and Dr. Richardson communicates. a curious and well authenticated exemplification of the force of their parental attachment, in the case of an Indian whose wife died in labor, and who afterward brought up the child with all the care of a female nurse: being supplied even with milk in his breast for its nourishment, which was granted to his prayer to the Great Master of Life.' The chiefs of these Indians have now lost much of their power and influence; but they are still treated with the usual external marks of respect. From vanity, they style themselves "the People," while they designate all other nations by the names of their respective countries. As they pretend to trace their origin to a dog, some fanatic, a few years ago, persuaded them of the impropriety of employing that animal in labor; and they at once, rather unaccountably, destroyed them all, and have now to drag their sledges themselves, a task which falls heaviest

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on the women. Thus we see how a trifling incident may change the habits and usages of savage communities; and thus we may sometimes be enabled to reconcile the apparently discordant statements of travellers and voyagers, who have written on the same tribes at different periods of their history. April 15th, the first shower of rain occurred that had fallen at Cumberland for six months. On the 17th, the thermometer stood at 77 in the shade, and the whole country was deluged by the melting of the snow. The noise made by the frogs which this inundation produced is almost incredible. There is strong reason to believe that they outlive the severity of winter. They have often been found frozen and revived by warmth, nor is it possible that the multitude which inces-" santly filled our ears with its discordant notes could have been matured in two or three days.'

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We should now mention that Dr. Richardson and Mr. Hood embarked in their canoes on the 13th of June, and prosecuted their way by Sturgeon River, Bear Lake, &c. At the Otter Portage, one of the canoes was upset, and a Canadian guide unfortunately perished. Along the Mississippi their progress was tortuous and interrupted, but over the dangerous and swelling surface of the Isle à la Crosse Lake, they advanced with unusual speed. During the whole route, they were terribly tormented by the severe inflictions of the mosquitos, and occasionally by the horse-fly and sand-fly.

Early on the 18th of July, the expedition, consisting of the officers, Hepburn, and sixteen Canadian voyagers, and distributed with a very scanty stock of provisions into three canoes, recommenced the toilsome and perilous vocation of navigating rivers and lakes, to proceed by the Slave Lake and Fort Providence, over innumerable rapids and portages. The nets furnished them with hardly any fish: but a buffalo which had accidentally plunged into the river was very opportunely killed and secured. At the posts of both Companies, on Moose-deer island, some additional provisions were procured, and an interpreter was engaged for the Copper Indians. An agreement was also formed with Mr. Wentzel, of the North-West Company, who was charged with the management of the Indians and of the voyagers, and with the distribution of the stores; a residence of twenty years in the country, and an acquaintance with the Chipewyan language, having eminently qualified him for the performance of such duties. Akaitcho, chief of an Indian tribe, stipulated to attend on the expedition, and to exert himself with his people in procuring subsistence by the way; consenting also to abstain

from

from acts of hostility against the Esquimaux, with whom his tribe now wished to live on terms of peace.

From Fort Providence the travellers took their departure on the 2d of August, directing their route northward to Copper-Mine River, a region which had never been visited by any European. According to their observations, the breadth of the Great Slave Lake is 60 miles less than it is laid down in Arrowsmith's map. In the Yellow-Knife River, which occasionally dilates into the form of a lake, they were joined by Akaitcho and his hunters in seventeen canoes, some of which were managed by loquacious and quarrelsome women, The portages multiplied as they advanced; and the strength of the people, especially when they were compelled to subsist on scanty fare, began to sink under their accumulating burdens. By advice of the guides, they quitted the river, and entered on a chain of nine lakes, extending to the northeast; and, having traversed them all, they returned, by a portage, to the river, halting for two days on the borders of Lower Carp Lake. Here the men, regaled with fish, recovered from their fatigues: the joyful tidings were on the next day announced that the hunters had killed some rein-deer; and no serious deficiency of food was experienced during the rest of this journey, the hunters regularly bringing in deer. The Yellow-Knife River had now dwindled into an insignificant stream, and could scarcely be traced beyond the next lake." On the 19th all arrived at the station which the Indians had recommended for winter-quarters, and which was found fully" to answer expectation.

As Akaitcho and his Indians testified the most decided aversion to proceed to the Copper-Mine River at this advanced period of the season, it was finally determined that a party, under the direction of Messrs. Back and Hood, should be dispatched to visit that river, and report such particulars as might conduce to facilitate the operations of the next spring. These officers accordingly embarked on the 29th, with eight Canadians, one Indian, and an interpreter. On the 9th of September, Captain Franklin and Dr. Richardson, attended by Hepburn, an old Indian, and one of the voyagers, commenced a pedestrian excursion in the same direction, leaving Mr. Wentzel in charge of the remaining men and of the winter-establishment at Fort Enterprize. After a march of sixteen miles, the foot-party balted in the evening, supped on rein-deer venison, stretched themselves on a pine-bush, and wrapped in their blankets enjoyed profound sleep. The small quantity of bed-clothes we carried,' observes Captain Franklin, induced us to sleep without undressing. Old

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Keskarrah followed a different plan; he stripped himself to the skin, and having toasted his body for a short time over the embers of the fire, he crept under his deer-skin and rags, previously spread out as smoothly as possible, and coiling himself up in a circular form, fell asleep instantly. This custom of undressing to the skin, even when lying in the open air, is common to all the Indian tribes.' As this Mr. Keskarrah persisted in taking his fellow-travellers over the summit of every hill that lay in their course, they were more annoyed than they might otherwise have been by cold winds and showers of snow. On the 12th they arrived at Point Lake, an expansion or arm of the Copper-Mine River, and, having made their observations, hastened to retrace their footsteps to their winter-station. Here they found the other party also returned from their explorations, having, from the want of a proper water-conveyance, left their canoe behind them.

In his record of the transactions during a ten months' residence at Fort Enterprize, the author purposely omits many of the ordinary occurrences of a North-American win ter, which have been so well detailed by Ellis and others; chiefly confining himself to such circumstances as might more or less directly influence the proceedings of the next summer. On the 6th of October, the log-house having been constructed; the tents, which had become very cold and comfortless, were struck, and a cheerful evening was passed before a blazing fire. On the 10th, upwards of 2000 rein-deer were reckoned in the course of a short walk: but, as the cold continued to increase, these animals began to disappear, in quest of more southerly and better sheltered pastures. The remarks on the natural history of this species will amply reward the trouble of perusal. On the 18th, Mr. Back and Mr. Wentzel set out for Fort Providence, accompanied by two travellers, and two Indians, with their wives, to expedite the transmission of the expected stores from Cumberland House, and to endeavor to procure additional supplies from the establishment at the Slave Lake; or even, in case of necessity, and of its being found practicable, to proceed to Chipewyan. The result was not very successful, but partial supplies were obtained.

The fishing on Winter Lake was closed on the 5th of November, on account of the cold.

It may be worthy of notice here, that the fish froze as they were taken out of the nets, in a short time became a solid mass of ice, and by a blow or two of the hatchet were easily split open, when the intestines might be removed in one lump. If in this completely frozen state they were thawed before the fire, they

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