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 that a good fire was kept in each apartment and we
frequently experienced the extremes of heat and cold on opposite sides of
the body.
November 24.
We obtained observations for the dip of the needle and intensity of the
magnetic force in a spare room. The dip was 83 degrees 9 minutes 45
seconds and the difference produced by reversing the face of the
instrument 13 degrees 3 minutes 6 seconds. When the needle was faced to
the west it hung nearly perpendicular. The Aurora Borealis had been
faintly visible for a short time the preceding evening. Some Indians
arrived in search of provision having been totally incapacitated from
hunting by sickness; the poor creatures looked miserably ill and they
represented their distress to have been extreme. Few recitals are more
affecting than those of their sufferings during unfavourable seasons and
in bad situations for hunting and fishing. Many assurances have been
given me that men and women are yet living who have been reduced to feed
upon the bodies of their own family to prevent actual starvation; and a
shocking case was cited to us of a woman who had been principal agent in
the destruction of several persons, and amongst the number her husband
and nearest relatives, in order to support life.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 76 of 649
Words from 20367 to 20659
of 176017
