en promised on the first day of the year. The spirits
which were proof were frozen but, after standing at the fire for some
time, they flowed out with the consistency of honey. The temperature of
the liquid even in this state was so low as instantly to convert into ice
the moisture which condensed on the surface of the dram-glass. The
fingers also adhered to the glass and would doubtless have been speedily
frozen had they been kept in contact with it; yet each of the voyagers
swallowed his dram without experiencing the slightest inconvenience or
complaining of toothache.

After the men had retired an Indian who had accompanied them from Fort
Providence informed me that they had broached the cask on their way up
and spent two days in drinking. This instance of breach of trust was
excessively distressing to me; I felt for their privations and fatigues
and was disposed to seize every opportunity of alleviating them but this,
combined with many instances of petty dishonesty with regard to meat,
showed how little confidence could be put in a Canadian voyager when food
or spirits were in question. We had been indeed made acquainted with
their character on these points by the traders; but we thought that when
they saw their officers living under equal if not greater privations than
themselves they would have been prompted by some degree of generous
feeling to abstain from those depredations which under ordinary
circumstances they would scarcely have blushed to be detected in.

As they were pretty well aware that such a circumstance could not long be
concealed from us one of them came the next morning with an artful
apology for their conduct. He stated that as they knew it was my
intention to treat them with a dram on the commencement of the new year
they had helped themselves to a small quantity on that day, trusting to
my goodness for forgiveness and, being unwilling to act harshly at this
period, I did forgive them after admonishing them to be very circumspect
in their future conduct.

The ammunition and a small present of rum were sent to Akaitcho.

On the 18th Vaillant the woodman had the misfortune to break his axe.
This would have been a serious evil a few weeks sooner but we had just
received some others from Slave Lake.

On the 27th Mr. Wentzel and St. Germain arrived with the two Esquimaux,
Attannoeuck and Hoeootoerock (the belly and the ear). The English names
which were bestowed upon them at Fort Churchill in co