ment, and on the way back Hepburn and
Keskarrah shot several waveys (Anas hyperborea) which afforded us a
seasonable supply, our stock of provision being nearly exhausted. These
birds were feeding in large flocks on the crow-berries which grew
plentifully on the sides of the hills. We reached the encampment after
dark, found a comfortable hut prepared for our reception, made an
excellent supper, and slept soundly though it snowed hard the whole
night.

The hills in this neighbourhood are higher than those about Fort
Enterprise; they stand however in the same detached manner without
forming connected ranges; and the bottom of every valley is occupied
either by a small lake or a stony marsh. On the borders of such of these
lakes as communicate with the Copper-Mine River there are a few groves of
spruce-trees, generally growing on accumulations of sand on the
acclivities of the hills.

We did not quit the encampment on the morning of September 13th until
nine o'clock in consequence of a constant fall of snow; but at that hour
we set out on our return to Fort Enterprise and, taking a route somewhat
different from the one by which we came, kept to the eastward of a chain
of lakes. Soon after noon the weather became extremely disagreeable; a
cold northerly gale came on attended by snow and sleet, and the
temperature fell very soon from 43 to 34 degrees. The waveys, alarmed at
the sudden change, flew over our heads in great numbers to a milder
climate. We walked as quickly as possible to get a place that would
furnish some fuel and shelter; but the fog occasioned us to make frequent
halts from the inability of our guide to trace his way. At length we came
to a spot which afforded us plenty of dwarf birches but they were so much
frozen and the snow fell so thick that upwards of two hours were wasted
in endeavouring to make a fire, during which time our clothes were
freezing upon us. At length our efforts were crowned with success and
after a good supper we laid or rather sat down to sleep, for the nature
of the ground obliged us to pass the night in a demi-erect position with
our backs against a bank of earth. The thermometer was 16 degrees at six
P.M.

After enjoying a more comfortable night's rest than we had expected we
set off at daybreak, the thermometer then standing at 18 degrees. The
ground was covered with snow, the small lakes were frozen, and the whole
scene had a wintry appearance. We got on but slowly at first o