eved from the necessity of putting the party on
short allowance. We had the additional pleasure of learning that the
hunters had killed ten rein-deer. The men returned from Fort Norman on
the 18th, accompanied by Thomas Matthews, whose leg was yet too weak for
him to walk more than a short distance.

During the middle, and towards the close of November, parheliae were
frequent; the most brilliant appeared on the 27th; it continued as long
as the sun was above the horizon. The atmosphere was cloudless, and
apparently free from haze, except just about the sun, which seemed to
gleam through a fog. The surrounding circle was nearly complete, and
displayed the prismatic colours vividly; from the centre of the sun's
disk a beam of bright light extended upwards several degrees beyond the
circle. The inner radius of the circle measured 21 degrees 34 minutes,
and the outer 22 degrees 50 minutes. The wind blew fresh all the day
from E.N.E., and the temperature was 10 degrees. In the evening the moon
was encircled by two distinct halos; temperature 7 degrees.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, 29th.] This morning the principal leader of the
Dog-Ribs, and a large party of his tribe, came to the Fort. It is usual
for Indians, on the first visit to an establishment, to make their
approach in line, with much formality; but on this occasion our visitors
showed an unusual degree of caution. Their distrust had originated in a
very trifling occurrence at the close of our house-warming festivities
on the 23rd of September. Some of the Canadians having asked Mr. Dease
if our Highlandmen did not come from the same country with the rest of
the English party, were told that they were natives of the mountainous
lands, or _Montagnards_. This name unfortunately being used by the
voyagers to designate the Dog-Ribs, was considered by the Highlanders to
be a term of reproach when applied to themselves, and a scuffle ensued.
Harmony was soon restored by the officers sending the most noisy to bed,
and next morning the true meaning of the word Montagnard was explained
to the Highlandmen, and the party set about their usual occupations with
their wonted good feeling towards each other. Not so with an unlucky
Dog-Rib, who had been attracted to the scene by hearing the name
applied by the voyagers to his countrymen bandied about from one to the
other, and thrusting his head into the crowd had received a blow. This
at once confirmed all his fears, and he fled to spread