ROBERT KENNICOTT 
3 
appear as if his principal occupation in the world was to provide 
me with Diptera ! 
“Fort Simpson, Mackenzie’s River, H. B. T. 
“Nov. 30, 1859. 
“ I can write little more than an apology for my not writing! I fear my 
success among Diptera has not been brilliant. You must remember, how¬ 
ever, that until I arrived here, I had no opportunity for hunting out the 
best localities, and working steadily at the Diptera alone ; and I got here 
too late for doing much. Still I have a good many flies, besides those 
sent from the Portage. Of Culex, Tabani and black flies I get enough too 
readily. — Next March I go on snow-shoes and with dogs across Slave- 
Lake to Fort Resolution, that being a much better locality for zoological 
operations generally than Fort Simpson. For Diptera it will be capital. 
Then you may expect new ones!—Your dear (!) brother dipterologist 
Walker appears to have received the larger part, if not all of the insects, 
sent from this region. I hope you will enjoy the task of identifying my 
specimens with his ‘ descriptions ’ !” [In this part of the letter Kennicott 
introduced an account of his projects for the next two years. Ilis great 
desire was to reach the Yukon River and Alaska, which, at that time, was 
still in possession of Russia. He continued : —] 
“ While wintering at Peel River I hope to make an excursion with an 
officer in charge to the Esquimaux on the coast. Some Esquimaux came 
up to Fort Simpson this fall, when I taught them to skin birds w r ell, and 
they promised me lots of fine specimens. As they expect highly valued 
articles in return, I doubt not their sending me a lot of things from 
[illegible] River, where the officer in charge will receive and pay them 
for me. I find the Esquimaux far more intelligent and good-looking than 
the Iranians here.” 
“ To Prof. Baird I must refer you for an account of my life here. The 
packet closes in a few hours, and I have been so lazy as to be obliged now 
to shorten my correspondence to the greatest possible degree. I have not 
yet sufficiently elaborated any notes on the country for sending them home, 
but will try to send something by the spring packet, which reaches Red River 
in July. I only send to Prof. Baird a few notes on birds and mammals.” 
“ I am having an interesting life of it here, and yet plenty of employ¬ 
ment. ’T is harder work collecting in the North than at home ! But I 
have not had a fair chance yet, and hope for great things next summer. I 
am getting some rarae aves among vertebrates this winter. I dress a la 
sauvage, camp out for several nights together in the snow, with only two 
blankets, and eat tallow (that is, when I can get it!) like an Esquimaux. 
Y e get no fresh meat, and from chewing tough dried caribou, the muscles 
°f m y jaws are developing extraordinarily! ” etc. 
