nets, in a short time became a solid
mass of ice, and by a blow or two of the hatchet were easily split
open, when the intestines might be removed in one lump. If in this
completely frozen state they were thawed before the fire, they recovered
their animation. This was particularly the case with the carp, and we
had occasion to observe it repeatedly, as Dr. Richardson occupied
himself in examining the structure of the different species of fish, and
was, always in the winter, under the necessity of thawing them before he
could cut them. We have seen a carp recover so far as to leap about with
much vigour, after it had been frozen for thirty-six hours.

From the 12th to the 16th we had fine, and for the season, warm weather;
and the deer, which had not been seen since the 26th of October,
reappeared in the neighbourhood of the house, to the surprise of the
Indians, who attributed their return to the barren grounds to the
unusual mildness of the season. On this occasion, by melting some of our
pewter cups, we managed to furnish five balls to each of the hunters,
but they were all expended unsuccessfully, except by Akaitcho, who
killed two deer.

By the middle of the month Winter River was firmly frozen over, except
the small rapid at its commencement, which remained open all the winter.
The ice on the lake was now nearly two feet thick. After the 16th we
had a succession of cold, snowy, and windy weather. We had become
anxious to hear of the arrival of Mr. Back and his party at Fort
Providence. The Indians, who had calculated the period at which a
messenger ought to have returned from thence to be already passed,
became impatient when it had elapsed, and with their usual love of evil
augury tormented us by their melancholy forebodings. At one time they
conjectured that the whole party had fallen through{1} the ice; at
another, that they had been way-laid and cut off by the Dog-ribs. In
vain did we urge the improbability of the former accident, or the
peaceable character of the Dog-ribs, so little in conformity with the
latter. "The ice at this season was deceitful," they said, "and the
Dog-ribs, though unwarlike, were treacherous." These assertions, so
often repeated, had some effect upon the spirits of our Canadian
voyagers, who seldom weigh any opinion they adopt; but we persisted in
treating their fears as chimerical, for had we seemed to listen to them
for a moment, it is more than probable that the whole of our India