The Day Was Extremely Cold, The
Thermometer Varying Between 34 And 36 Degrees.
In the afternoon a heavy
fall of snow took place on the wind changing from north-west to
south-west.
We found no wood at the encampment but made a fire of moss to
cook the supper and crept under our blankets for warmth. At sunrise the
thermometer was at 31 degrees and the wind fresh from north-west, but the
weather became mild in the course of the forenoon and the snow
disappeared from the gravel. The afternoon was remarkably fine and the
thermometer rose to 50 degrees. One of the hunters killed a musk-ox. The
hills in this part are lower and more round-backed than those we passed
yesterday, exhibiting but little naked rock; they were covered with
lichens.
Having ascertained from the summit of the highest hill near the tents
that the river continued to preserve a west course and, fearing that by
pursuing it farther we might lose much time and unnecessarily walk over a
great deal of ground, I determined on quitting its banks the next day and
making as directly as we could for Point Lake. We accordingly followed
the river on the 3rd only to the place where the musk-ox had been killed
last evening and, after the meat was procured, crossed the river in our
two canoes lashed together. We now emerged from the valley of the river
and entered a level but very barren country, varied only by small lakes
and marshes, the ground being covered with small stones. Many old tracks
of reindeer were seen in the clayey soil and some more recent traces of
the musk-ox. We encamped on the borders of Wright's River which flows to
the eastward, the direct distance walked today being ten miles and
three-quarters. The next morning was very fine and as the day advanced
the weather became quite warm. We set out at six A.M. and, having forded
the river, walked over a perfectly level country interspersed with small
lakes which communicated with each other by streams running in various
directions. No berry-bearing plants were found in this part, the surface
of the earth being thinly covered in the moister places with a few
grasses, and on the drier spots with lichens.
Having walked twelve miles and a half we encamped at seven P.M. and
distributed our last piece of pemmican and a little arrowroot for supper
which afforded but a scanty meal. This evening was warm but dark clouds
overspread the sky. Our men now began to find their burdens very
oppressive and were much fatigued by this day's march but did not
complain. One of them was lame from an inflammation in the knee. Heavy
rain commenced at midnight and continued without intermission until five
in the morning, when it was succeeded by snow on the wind changing to
north-west, which soon increased to a violent gale. As we had nothing to
eat and were destitute of the means of making a fire, we remained in our
beds all the day, but the covering of our blankets was insufficient to
prevent us from feeling the severity of the frost and suffering
inconvenience from the drifting of the snow into our tents.
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