bringing in the meat that
was placed _en cache_ in the early part of the winter. More than one
half of these _caches_, however, had been destroyed by the wolves and
wolverenes; a circumstance which, in conjunction with the empty state of
our store-house, led us to fear that we should be much straitened for
provisions before the arrival of any considerable number of rein-deer in
this neighbourhood.

A good many ptarmigan were seen at this time, and the women caught some
in snares, but not in sufficient quantity to make any further alteration
in the rations of deers' meat that were daily issued. They had already
been reduced from eight, to the short allowance of five pounds.

Many wolves prowled nightly about the house, and even ventured upon the
roof of the kitchen, which is a low building, in search of food;
Keskarrah shot a very large white one, of which a beautiful and correct
drawing was made by Mr. Hood.

The temperature in February was considerably lower than in the preceding
month, although not so low as in December, the mean being -25 deg..3. The
greatest temperature was 1 deg. above zero, and the lowest 51 deg. below.

On the 5th of March the people returned from Slave Lake, bringing the
remainder of our stores, consisting of a cask of flour, thirty-six
pounds of sugar, a roll of tobacco, and forty pounds of powder. I
received a letter from Mr. Weeks, wherein he denied that he had ever
circulated any reports to our disadvantage; and stated that he had done
every thing in his power to assist us, and even discouraged Akaitcho
from leaving us, when he had sent him a message, saying, that he wished
to do so, if he was sure of being well received at Fort Providence.

We mentioned the contents of the letter to the Indians, who were at the
house at the time, when one of the hunters, who had attended the men on
their journey, stated, that he had heard many of the reports against us
from Mr. Weeks himself, and expressed his surprise that he should
venture to deny them. St. Germain soon afterwards arrived from Akaitcho,
and informed us, that he left him in good humour, and, apparently, not
harbouring the slightest idea of quitting us.

On the 12th, we sent four men to Fort Providence; and, on the 17th Mr.
Back arrived from Fort Chipewyan, having performed, since he left us, a
journey of more than one thousand miles on foot. I had every reason to
be much pleased with his conduct on this arduous undertaking; but his