nted to
be in a state of starvation, accompanied them. His party had been
suffering greatly under the epidemic diseases of whooping-cough and
measles; and the hunters were still in too debilitated a state to go out
and provide them with meat. A supply was given to him and the men were
directed to bring his father, an old and faithful hunter, to the house,
that he might have the comforts of nourishment and warmth. He was brought
accordingly but these attentions were unavailing as he died a few days
afterwards. Two days before his death I was surprised to observe him
sitting for nearly three hours, in a piercingly sharp day, in the
saw-pit, employed in gathering the dust and throwing it by handfuls over
his body, which was naked to the waist. As the man was in possession of
his mental faculties I conceived he was performing some devotional act
preparatory to his departure, which he felt to be approaching and,
induced by the novelty of the incident, I went twice to observe him more
closely; but when he perceived that he was noticed he immediately ceased
his operation, hung down his head and, by his demeanour, intimated that
he considered my appearance an intrusion. The residents at the fort could
give me no information on the subject and I could not learn that the
Indians in general observe any particular ceremony on the approach of
death.

November 15.

The sky had been overcast during the last week; the sun shone forth once
only and then not sufficiently for the purpose of obtaining observations.
Faint coruscations of the Aurora Borealis appeared one evening but their
presence did not in the least affect the electrometer or the compass. The
ice daily became thicker in the lake and the frost had now nearly
overpowered the rapid current of the Saskatchewan River; indeed parties
of men who were sent from both the forts to search for the Indians and
procure whatever skins and provisions they might have collected crossed
that stream this day on the ice. The white partridges made their first
appearance near the house, which birds are considered as the infallible
harbingers of severe weather.

Monday, November 22.

The Saskatchewan and every other river were now completely covered with
ice except a small stream not far from the fort through which the current
ran very powerfully. In the course of the week we removed into the house
our men had prepared since our arrival. We found it at first extremely
cold notwithstanding th