few small pines, having walked thirteen miles.

The comfort of a good fire made us soon insensible to the fatigue we had
experienced through the day, in marching over the rugged stones, whose
surface was rendered slippery by the frost. The thermometer at seven
P.M. stood at 27 deg..

We set off at sunrise next morning, and our provision being expended
pushed on as fast as we could to Fort Enterprise, where we arrived at
eight P.M., almost exhausted by a harassing day's march of twenty-two
miles. A substantial supper of rein-deer steaks soon restored our
vigour. We had the happiness of meeting our friends Mr. Back and Mr.
Hood, who had returned from their excursion on the day succeeding that
on which we set out; and I received from them the following account of
their journey.

They proceeded up the Winter River to the north end of the Little Marten
Lake, and then the guide, being unacquainted with the route by water to
the Copper-Mine River, proposed that the canoe should be left. Upon this
they ascended the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood, to examine whether
they could discover any large lakes, or water communication in the
direction where the guide described the river to be. They only saw a
small rivulet, which was too shallow for the canoe, and also wide of the
course; and as they perceived the crew would have to carry it over a
rugged hilly track, they judiciously decided on leaving it, and
proceeding forward on foot. Having deposited the canoe among a few dwarf
birch bushes, they commenced their march, carrying their tents,
blankets, cooking utensils, and a part of the dried meat. St. Germain,
however, had previously delineated with charcoal, a man and a house on a
piece of bark, which he placed over the canoe and the few things that
were left, to point out to the Dog-Ribs that they belonged to white
people.

The party reached the shores of Point Lake, through which the
Copper-Mine River runs, on the 1st of September. The next day was too
stormy for them to march, but on the 3d, they proceeded along its shores
to the westward, round a mountainous promontory, and perceiving the
course of the lake extending to the W.N.W., they encamped near some
pines, and then enjoyed the luxury of a good fire, for the first time
since their departure from us. The temperature of the water in the lake
was 35 deg., and of the air 32 deg., but the latter fell to 20 deg. in the course of
that night. As their principal object was