There are springs of bituminous matter on several of the islands near
these houses; and the stones on the riverbank are much impregnated with
this useful substance. There is also another place remarkable for the
production of a sulphureous salt which is deposited on the surface of a
round-backed hill about half a mile from the beach and on the marshy
ground underneath it. We visited these places at a subsequent period of
the journey and descriptions of them will appear in Dr. Richardson's
Mineralogical Notices.
The latitude of the North-West Company's House is 57 degrees 24 minutes
06 seconds North, but this was the only observation we could obtain, the
atmosphere being cloudy. Mr. Stuart had an excellent thermometer which
indicated the lowest state of temperature to be 43 degrees below zero. He
told me 45 degrees was the lowest temperature he had ever witnessed at
the Athabasca or Great Slave Lake after many years' residence. On the
21st it rose above zero and at noon attained the height of 43 degrees;
the atmosphere was sultry, snow fell constantly, and there was quite an
appearance of a change in the season. On the 22nd we parted from our
hospitable friend and recommenced our journey, but under the expectation
of seeing him again in May, at which time the partners of the Company
usually assemble at Fort Chipewyan where we hoped the necessary
arrangements for our future proceedings would be completed. We encamped
at sunset at the end of fourteen miles, having walked the whole way along
the river which preserves nearly a true north course and is from four
hundred to six hundred yards broad. The banks are high and well clothed
with the liard, spruce, fir, alder, birch-tree and willows. Having come
nineteen miles and a half on the 23rd we encamped among pines of a great
height and girth.
Showers of snow fell until noon on the following day but we continued our
journey along the river whose banks and islands became gradually lower as
we advanced and less abundantly supplied with wood except willows. We
passed an old Canadian who was resting his wearied dogs during the heat
of the sun. He was carrying meat from some Indian lodges to Fort
Chipewyan, having a burden exceeding two hundred and fifty pounds on his
sledge which was dragged by two miserable dogs. He came up to our
encampment after dark. We were much amused by the altercation that took
place between him and our Canadian companions as to the qualifications of
their respective dogs. This however is such a general topic of
conversation among the voyagers in the encampment that we should not
probably have remarked it had not the old man frequently offered to bet
the whole of his wages that his two dogs, poor and lean as they were,
would drag their load to the Athabasca Lake in less time than any three
of theirs.
