218 



of appetite, which was a sure sign that we considered our* 

 selves comparatively out of danger, and a cask containing 

 oatmeal was quickly broached, which, mixed with a little 

 saltwater, sufficed to allay our hunger; but I believe that 

 Lieutenant Kendall and myself were the only partakers. 

 We were soon espied from the ship, and a boat with plenty 

 of provisions was sent to meet us, which proved very accep- 

 table. The news of our having been swept out to sea had 

 been speedily conveyed to the Factory, and Mr. M^Tavish, 

 the Superintendant, lost no time in despatching Indians along 

 each shore of the Bay, with provisions, &c, in case of our 

 being cast ashore alive, for it was not considered possible 

 that an open boat could have weathered so tremendous a 

 storm ; but when they found the casks of stores that we had 

 thrown overboard, they almost all returned, and gave us up 

 for lost. On reaching the vessel, we received the kindest 

 attention from our fellow-sufferer. Captain Davidson, and 

 likewise from Mr. M^Tavish, York Factory. Mr. Kendall 

 and Mr. Douglas suffered severely, and did not recover the 

 full use of their limbs until their landing in England. For 

 my own part I endured little inconvenience, comparatively, 

 and after enjoying a night's repose, I was able to take a walk 

 as far as the North River, about five miles distant from the 

 Fort, through a continued swamp the whole way, which was 

 very laborious, for I sank up to my knees at every step, the 

 underneath part of the ground being hard frozen, and the 

 only plant which recompensed me for all my labour was 

 Pohjtrichum formosum. Shortly after, we set sail for England 

 in the Hudson's Bay Company's ship, the Prince of Wales, 

 and having an excellent passage, arrived in London on 

 15th of October, 1827, in good health. 



the 



I am sorry not to be qualified to speak of the mineral 

 kmgdom, and the only opportunity that occurred for investi- 

 gation was unfortunately lost by spending the winter of 

 1825-6 distant from the Rocky Mountains. There appears, 

 however, to be little variety; the high mountains consisting 

 principally of primitive limestone on their eastern side. On 

 reaching the Height of Land, these characters change, as the 



