ed for himself and family.

[Sidenote: October, 1st.] The month of October commenced with frost and
snow, and the party were now furnished with fur caps, leathern mittens
and trowsers, and the rest of their warm winter-clothing. This day we
completed the erection of the observatory, and adjusted an instrument to
the magnetic meridian, for the purpose of observing the variations of
the needle.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, 11th.] Much snow fell on the night of the 7th, and
on the 11th the small lake was firmly frozen over, and the ground in the
same state. All the migratory birds being now gone, except a few ducks,
which still lingered in the open water of Bear Lake, we considered this
day to be the first of the winter. It was remarkably clear and fine, and
we hailed the commencement of this season with a degree of pleasure,
from its contrast with the wet unsettled weather which marks the close
of summer. A few clouds passing over the sun's disk, produced an
instantaneous depression of ten degrees of the mercury in a thermometer
exposed to the sun's rays. The atmospherical refraction was remarkably
strong at this time. We had repeated opportunities, in the course of the
winter, of observing it to be greatest in similar states of the
atmosphere.

The boats were now secured for the winter in a sheltered place, and
screened as much as possible from the effects of the wind and snow
drift, by a strong fence made of boughs and branches.

[Sidenote: Friday, 14th.] We were surprised on the 14th by the arrival
of two Canadians from Fort Norman, with letters from Governor Simpson,
and other gentlemen in the southern districts, containing satisfactory
answers to the requisitions for stores that I had made in my passage
through the country. We were also pleased to learn that Thomas Matthews,
the carpenter, whom we had left at Cumberland House, on account of his
leg being broken, had reached Fort Norman, in the Company's canoe; and I
felt much indebted to Mr. James Keith, and Mr. Smith, Chief Factors,
for the care and tenderness with which they had conveyed him through the
country.

The season at which the ice begins to form, is the most favourable for
fishing in the lakes of this country, and we then procured from four to
five hundred daily. Those not required for immediate consumption, were
hung on a stage to freeze, in which state they keep until the following
spring. But we could not derive the full advantage from the season,
becaus