t, the atmosphere gloomy; and we amused ourselves with conjecturing,
whether this extraordinary warmth, and the density of the clouds, could
in any way be ascribed to the comet.

At Christmas we were favoured by a visit from Mr. Brisbois, to whom we
felt much obliged for the care he had taken of our sea-stores, beside
many personal civilities. The visit of a stranger is always heartily
welcomed in such a desolate region, and to provide for the entertainment
of the party during Mr. Brisbois's stay, Captain Back and Mr. Kendall
displayed their ingenuity in cutting out several pasteboard figures, to
represent behind an illuminated screen the characters of a comic piece,
which Captain Back had written for the occasion. The exhibition was
entirely new to most of the party, and its execution afforded such
general amusement, that it was repeated on three nights at the request
of the men. [Sidenote: January.] The New Year was celebrated by a dance,
which closed our festivities; and on Mr. Brisbois quitting us the
following day, we resumed our ordinary occupations. Two Hare Indians
arrived at the fort, whom Mr. Kendall recognised as the persons who had
brought provisions to Dr. Richardson's party, as soon as they had heard
of his having reached the Bear Lake Portage; and we had much pleasure
in rewarding their promptitude on that occasion, by a substantial
present and a silver medal. They were particularly pleased at the
medals, and assured us that they should be proud to show them to the
rest of their tribe as tokens of our approbation.

On the evening of the 4th of January, the temperature being -52.2
degrees, Mr. Kendall froze some mercury in the mould of a pistol bullet,
and fired it against a door at the distance of six paces. A small
portion of the mercury penetrated to the depth of one eighth of an inch,
but the remainder only just lodged in the wood. Much snow fell in the
second week of January; and on the 12th, we ascertained that its average
depth was two feet in the sheltered parts of the woods. The weather
became mild after the 20th; and on the 22nd, the sun's rays were so
powerful as to raise a spirit thermometer with a blackened bulb, to
+30.5 degrees, when the temperature of the air was -3.5 degrees. A very
brilliant and clearly defined parhelion was visible at the time, and
there were only a few light clouds. The wind was east, and as usual,
with the wind from that quarter when the sky is clear, the distant land