department allotted to
him.

Lieutenant Back had the superintendence of the men; and the accurate
drawings which he finished during the winter, from sketches taken on the
voyage, afford ample proof of his diligence and skill. Dr. Richardson,
besides the duties of medical officer, which, from the numerous
applications made by the natives, were not inconsiderable, devoted his
attention to natural history, as well as to a series of observations on
the force of the sun's radiation. Mr. Kendall constructed all the charts
after the data had been recalculated by myself; he also made several
drawings; and he undertook an interesting series of observations on the
velocity of sound. To Mr. Dease the charge was committed of whatever
related to the procuring and issuing of provision, and the entire
management of the Canadian voyagers and Indians.

Previous to the officers leaving London, Dr. Fitton, President of the
Geological Society, had the kindness to devote much of his time to their
instruction in geology; and having furnished them with a portable
collection for the purpose of reference on the voyage, Dr. Richardson,
when he had leisure, explained these specimens, weekly, to the party,
and assisted them in reading on this science, which proved a most
agreeable and useful recreation to us all.

Some of the preceding remarks refer to a period of our residence later
than that which I am about to enter upon; but I thought it best to
insert them here, that the mention of them might not interrupt the
narrative of occurrences which I shall now resume.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 8th.] On September 8th, two men were sent off to
Slave Lake, in a canoe, with a despatch, containing an account of our
proceedings, addressed to His Majesty's Secretary of State for the
Colonies; and as we expected letters from England, by the way of
Hudson's Bay, they directed to await their arrival at Slave Lake. There
was almost constant rain from the 11th to the 14th, which much retarded
the work going on out of doors, and particularly the construction of an
observatory, which we were desirous of completing as soon as possible,
that the magnetical observations might be commenced. We found
employment, however, in whitewashing and fitting up the interior of the
different houses. The 15th proving fine, we established a meridian line,
and ascertained the variation by each of the compasses.

[Sidenote: Tuesday, 20th.] Beaulieu returned with his family, the
Ch