Over These He Wears A
Blanket Or Leathern Coat Which Is Secured By A Belt Round His Waist To
Which His Fire-Bag, Knife, And Hatchet Are Suspended.
Mr. Back and I were accompanied by the seaman John Hepburn; we were
provided with two carioles and two sledges, their drivers and dogs being
furnished in equal proportions by the two Companies.
Fifteen days'
provision so completely filled the sledges that it was with difficulty we
found room for a small sextant, one suit of clothes, and three changes of
linen, together with our bedding. Notwithstanding we thus restricted
ourselves and even loaded the carioles with part of the luggage instead
of embarking in them ourselves we did not set out without considerable
grumbling from the voyagers of both Companies respecting the overlading
of their dogs. However we left the matter to be settled by our friends at
the fort who were more conversant with winter travelling than ourselves.
Indeed the loads appeared to us so great that we should have been
inclined to listen to the complaints of the drivers. The weight usually
placed upon a sledge drawn by three dogs cannot at the commencement of a
journey be estimated at less than three hundred pounds, which however
suffers a daily diminution from the consumption of provisions. The sledge
itself weighs about thirty pounds. When the snow is hard frozen or the
track well trodden the rate of travelling is about two miles and a half
an hour, including rests, or about fifteen miles a day. If the snow be
loose the speed is necessarily much less and the fatigue greater.
At eight in the morning of the 18th we quitted the fort and took leave of
our hospitable friend Governor Williams whose kindness and attention I
shall ever remember with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hood, and Mr.
Connolly accompanied us along the Saskatchewan until the snow became too
deep for their walking without snowshoes. We then parted from our
associates with sincere regret at the prospect of a long separation.
Being accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie of the Hudson's Bay Company who was
going to Isle a la Crosse with four sledges under his charge we formed
quite a procession, keeping in an Indian file on the track of the man who
preceded the foremost dogs; but as the snow was deep we proceeded slowly
on the surface of the river, which is about three hundred and fifty yards
wide, for the distance of six miles which we went this day. Its alluvial
banks and islands are clothed with willows. At the place of our
encampment we could scarcely find sufficient pine branches to floor the
hut, as the Orkney men term the place where travellers rest. Its
preparation however consists only in clearing away the snow to the ground
and covering that space with pine branches, over which the party spread
their blankets and coats and sleep in warmth and comfort by keeping a
good fire at their feet without any other canopy than the heaven, even
though the thermometer should be far below zero.
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