guishing points, especially as it
was not a detached mountain, but formed one of a line of hills of
considerable extent. Our dogs being completely tired, I remained a week
to recruit their strength. During this interval I had the opportunity of
examining all the accounts which the Hudson's Bay Company had to present
for supplies to the Expedition from this department, and of making
provision for the outward journey of Captain Back and his party.
Arrangements were also made, that the Hudson's Bay Company should take,
at a valuation, the spare stores of the Expedition on its quitting Bear
Lake. I accompanied Mr. Smith to a part of the River of the Mountains,
where a portion of the bank, several acres in extent, had been torn off,
and thrown a considerable distance into the channel of the river. The
disruption took place in the preceding November, some days after the
water had been frozen, and when there was no apparent cause for its
separation. When the water is flowing over the banks, and the earth is
in consequence loosened, the falling of the bank is not unfrequent in
the Mackenzie, though on a much smaller scale than in this instance. I
can only account for the separation of the mass after the ground had
been frozen, by the supposition, that there was some spring of warm
water in its rear, which loosened the soil, and that the pressure of the
ice contributed, with the weight of snow at the top, to its overthrow.

At the time of my visit, an Indian woman committed suicide, by hanging
herself, in a fit of jealousy, at an encampment a short distance from
the Fort. I had thought that suicide was extremely rare among the
Northern Indians; but I subsequently learned that it was not so uncommon
as I had imagined, and I was informed of two instances that occurred in
the year of 1826. The weather was remarkably mild; during my stay
icicles were formed on the southern front of the house, and there were
many other indications of an early spring.

[Sidenote: Thursday, 15th.] On the afternoon of the 15th of March I took
leave of Mr. Smith, who kindly furnished me with his best dog for my
cariole, one of mine having proved unfit for the journey to Slave Lake;
we were also indebted to him for the skin of a mountain goat and a lynx;
and to Mr. M'Pherson for the skins of several smaller animals and birds,
from the neighbourhood of the Rocky Mountains, which they added to our
collection. Having sent back one of my men with the Indian g