Vicinity.
Mr. MacMurray, a partner in the North-West Company, having sent to Isle a
la Crosse an invitation to Mr. Back and I, our carioles were driven to
his post and we experienced the kindest reception. These posts are
frequented by only a few Indians, Crees, and Chipewyans. The country
round is not sufficiently stocked with animals to afford support to many
families and the traders subsist almost entirely on fish caught in the
autumn prior to the lake being frozen but, the water being shallow, they
remove to a deeper part as soon as the lake is covered with ice. The
Aurora Borealis was brilliantly displayed on both the nights we remained
here, but particularly on the 7th when its appearances were most
diversified and the motion extremely rapid. Its coruscations occasionally
concealed from sight stars of the first magnitude in passing over them,
at other times these were faintly discerned through them; once I
perceived a stream of light to illumine the under surface of some clouds
as it passed along. There was no perceptible noise.
Mr. MacMurray gave a dance to his voyagers and the women; this is a treat
which they expect on the arrival of any stranger at the post.
We were presented by this gentleman with the valuable skin of a black fox
which he had entrapped some days before our arrival; it was forwarded to
England with other specimens.
Our observations place the North-West Company's House in latitude 55
degrees 53 minutes 00 seconds North, longitude 108 degrees 51 minutes 10
seconds West, variation 22 degrees 33 minutes 22 seconds East.
The shores of Buffalo Lake are of moderate height and well wooded but
immediately beyond the bank the country is very swampy and intersected
with water in every direction. At some distance from the western side
there is a conspicuous hill which we hailed with much pleasure as being
the first interruption to the tediously uniform scene we had for some
time passed through.
On the 10th we recommenced our journey after breakfast and travelled
quickly as we had the advantage of a well-beaten track. At the end of
eighteen miles we entered upon the river Loche which has a serpentine
course and is confined between alluvial banks that support stunted
willows and a few pines; we encamped about three miles farther on and in
the course of the next day's march perceived several holes on the ice and
many unsafe places for the sledges. Our companions said the ice of this
river is always in the same insecure state, even during the most severe
winter, which they attributed to warm springs. Quitting the river we
crossed a portage and came upon the Methye Lake and soon afterwards
arrived at the trading posts on its western side.
