as meditating on what was to be done, the thought struck her that
it would be advisable to attach as many pieces of copper to her dress
as she could, and then proceed into the interior, in search of some
inhabitants, who, she supposed, would give her a favourable reception,
on account of the treasure she had brought.

"It happened that she met her own relations, and the young men, elated
with the account she had given of the hill, made her instantly return
with them; which she was enabled to do, having taken the precaution of
putting up marks to indicate the path. The party reached the spot in
safety, but the story had a melancholy catastrophe. These youths
overcome by excess of joy, gave loose to their passions, and offered the
grossest insults to their benefactress. She powerfully resisted them for
some time, and when her strength was failing, fled to the point of the
mountain, as the only place of security. The moment she had gained the
summit, the earth opened and ingulphed both herself and the mountain, to
the utter dismay of the men, who were not more astonished at its sudden
disappearance, than sorrowful for this just punishment of their
wickedness. Ever since this event, the copper has only been found in
small detached pieces on the surface of the earth."

On the 10th of May we were gratified by the appearance of spring,
though the ice remained firm on the lake. The anemone (pulsatilla,
pasque flower,) appeared this day in flower, the trees began to put
forth their leaves, and the musquitoes visited the warm rooms. On the
17th and 18th there were frequent showers of rain, and much thunder and
lightning. This moist weather caused the ice to waste so rapidly, that
by the 24th it had entirely disappeared from the lake. The gentlemen
belonging to both the Companies quickly arrived from the different posts
in this department, bringing their winter's collection of furs, which
are forwarded from these establishments to the depots.

I immediately waited on Mr. Colin Robertson, the agent of the Hudson's
Company, and communicated to him, as I had done before to the several
partners of the North-West Company, our plan, and the requisitions we
should have to make on each Company, and I requested of all the
gentlemen the favour of their advice and suggestions. As I perceived
that the arrangement of their winter accounts, and other business, fully
occupied them, I forbore further pressing the subject of our concerns
for som