vicinity, coincided so exactly with those which have been given of
similar persons in Dr. Richardson's account of the Crees, that any
statement respecting them at this place is unnecessary. Both the
Companies have wisely prohibited their servants from intermarrying with
pure Indian women, which was formerly the cause of many quarrels with
the tribes.

The weather was extremely variable during the month of June; we scarcely
had two clear days in succession, and the showers of rain were frequent;
the winds were often strong, and generally blowing from the north-east
quarter. On the evening of the 16th the Aurora Borealis was visible, but
after that date the nights were too light for our discerning it.

The musquitoes swarmed in great numbers about the house, and tormented
us so incessantly by their irritating stings, that we were compelled to
keep our rooms constantly filled with smoke, which is the only means of
driving them away: the weather indeed was now warm. Having received one
of Dollond's eighteen-inch spirit thermometers from Mr. Stuart, which he
had the kindness to send us from his post at Pierre au Calumet, after he
had learned that ours had been rendered useless, I observed the
temperature, at noon, on the 25th of June, to be 63 deg..

On the following morning we made an excursion, accompanied by Mr. Smith,
round the fishing stations on the south side of the lake, for the
purpose of visiting our men; we passed several groups of women and
children belonging to both the forts, posted wherever they could find a
sufficiently dry spot for an encampment. At length we came to our men,
pitched upon a narrow strip of land, situated between two rivers. Though
the portion of dry ground did not exceed fifty yards, yet they appeared
to be living very comfortably, having formed huts with the canoe's sail
and covering, and were amply supported by the fish their nets daily
furnished. They sometimes had a change in their fare, by procuring a few
ducks and other water-fowl, which resort in great abundance to the
marshes, by which they were surrounded.

_July 2_.--The canoe, which was ordered to be built for our use, was
finished. As it was constructed after the manner, described by Hearne,
and several of the American travellers, a detail of the process will be
unnecessary. Its extreme length was thirty two feet six inches,
including the bow and stern pieces, its greatest breadth was four feet
ten inches, but it was only two