double the usual quantity of
fire-wood, and we anxiously expected the return of the men from Fort
Providence, with some additions to their comforts. We had stronger hope
of their arrival before the evening, as we knew that every voyager uses
his utmost endeavour to reach a post upon, or previous to, the _jour de
l'an_, that he may partake of the wonted festivities. It forms, as
Christmas is said to have done among our forefathers, the theme of their
conversation for months before and after the period of its arrival. On
the present occasion we could only treat them with a little flour and
fat; these were both considered as great luxuries, but still the feast
was defective from the want of rum, although we promised them a little
when it should arrive.

The early part of January proved mild, the thermometer rose to 20 deg. above
zero, and we were surprised by the appearance of a kind of damp fog
approaching very nearly to rain. The Indians expressed their
astonishment at this circumstance, and declared the present to be one of
the warmest winters they had ever experienced. Some of them reported
that it had actually rained in the woody parts of the country. In the
latter part of the month, however, the thermometer again descended
to -49 deg., and the mean temperature for the month proved to be -15 deg..6.
Owing to the fogs that obscured the sky the aurora was visible only upon
eighteen nights in the month.

On the 15th seven of our men arrived from Fort Providence with two kegs
of rum, one barrel of powder, sixty pounds of ball, two rolls of
tobacco, and some clothing. They had been twenty-one days on their march
from Slave Lake, and the labour they underwent was sufficiently evinced
by their sledge-collars having worn out the shoulders of their coats.
Their loads weighed from sixty to ninety pounds each, exclusive of their
bedding and provisions, which at starting must have been at least as
much more. We were much rejoiced at their arrival, and proceeded
forthwith to pierce the spirit cask, and issue to each of the household
the portion of rum which had been promised on the first day of the year.
The spirits, which were proof, were frozen, but after standing at the
fire for some time they flowed out of the consistency of honey. The
temperature of the liquid, even in this state, was so low as instantly
to convert into ice the moisture which condensed on the surface of the
dram-glass. The fingers also adhered to the glass,