e dip was observed
81 degrees 26 minutes 47 seconds.

Fort Chipewyan was this summer visited, for the first time, by a large
flight of swallows, resembling the house-martins of England. They came
in a body on the 25th of June, and immediately began to construct their
earthy nests under the ledge of the south-front of the house. Some barn
or forked-tail swallows also arrived on the 15th of June, and took
possession of the store-houses and garrets, as they had in former years
done. Some of the young of the last-mentioned birds were sporting on the
tops of the houses as early as the 17th of July.

At sunset we embarked in four canoes, one having been procured here. The
descent to Slave Lake occupied four days, and was unattended with any
circumstance deserving mention, except that two of the canoes were
broken in consequence of the guide mistaking the proper channel in a
rapid; fortunately, these bark vessels are soon repaired, and we had
only to regret the delay the accident occasioned.

We halted at the Salt River to take in salt, as we found, by a note left
here, Dr. Richardson had done. The geese were moulting at this time, and
unable to fly; they afforded us much sport in their chase, and an
excellent supper every night.

A body of Indians were waiting near the entrance of the lake to welcome
our arrival; they were so numerous, that we were forced to omit our
general custom of giving a small present to each native, and thus
incurred the charge of stinginess, which the loud vociferations they
raised on our setting sail, were probably meant to convey.

[Sidenote: Friday, 29th.] At six, on the evening of the 29th, we reached
Fort Resolution, the only establishment now at Slave Lake, and we felt
happy in being once more under the roof of our hospitable friend, Mr.
Robert M'Vicar, to whom I am much indebted for the excellent order in
which he had brought up our supplies from Canada in the preceding year.
Dr. Richardson, after a halt of two days, had gone forward with the
boats.

All the portages on the road to Bear Lake being now passed, the
Canadians made a request, that we would allow them to commemorate the
event by a dance. It met with a ready compliance; and though they had
been paddling for thirty-six out of the thirty-nine preceding hours,
they kept up their favourite amusement until daylight, to the music of
bagpipes, relieved occasionally by the Jews' harp.

We rejoiced to find at this post our worthy old