appeared much distorted by refraction.

The documents which had been preparing being now nearly finished, we
sent for the cariole, &c. from Fort Norman. [Sidenote: 18th.] When the
men came back, they brought the information, that, according to the
report of the Indians, the ice was so rough on the Mackenzie above Fort
Norman, that travelling would be extremely difficult. I therefore
abandoned the intention of proceeding by that way, and resolved on
passing through the woods to Fort Simpson, as soon as guides could be
procured. The delay afforded me the opportunity of registering the
lowest temperature we had witnessed in this country. [Sidenote:
February.] At a quarter after eight in the morning of the 7th of
February, the thermometer descended to -58 degrees; it had been -57.5
degrees, and 57.3 degrees thrice in the course of this and the preceding
day--between the 5th and 8th, its general state was from -48 degrees to
-52 degrees, though it occasionally rose to -43 degrees.

At Fort Enterprise, during a similar degree of cold, the atmosphere had
been calm: but here we had a light wind, which sometimes approached to a
fresh breeze. The sky was cloudless the whole time. Some of our men, as
well as the Indians, were travelling on the lake during this cold
without experiencing any greater inconvenience than having their faces
frost bitten. The dogs, however, suffered severely, three being
completely lamed by the frost, and all of them becoming much
thinner.[15] These cold days were followed by windy though mild weather,
which brought the rein-deer nearer to the Establishment; and our hunters
killed seven within a day's march. Their reappearance in our
neighbourhood was very gratifying to the whole party, as we were
heartily tired of a fish-diet, and I felt an especial pleasure at being
able to quit the place without the least apprehension of the party being
in want of provision.

The following is a list of the amount of provision we obtained at Fort
Franklin, from the time of Mr. Dease's arrival to the close of January
1827; independent of the supplies of pemmican, &c. for the sea voyage,
which were procured from the Hudson's Bay Company.

Small Fish, Bear Lake Herring, 79,440.--Trout, 3,475.--Pounds of fresh
meat, 24,053.--Dried ribs of Rein Deer, 2,370.--Pounds of pounded deer's
meat, 1,744.--Pounds of fat or tallow, 2,929.--Rein-deer tongues,
1,849.--Beaver, 12.--Partridges, 386.--Hares, 52.

On the 16th of Febru