﻿170 PROVISIONS FOR WINTER. July, 



course towards the Mackenzie, which it joins at 

 Fort Simpson. Though this post is more elevated 

 than Fort Simpson, by at least one hundred and 

 fifty feet, and is only two degrees of latitude to the 

 southward, its climate is said to be very superior, 

 and its vegetable productions of better growth and 

 quality. Barley and oats yield good crops, and in 

 favourable seasons wheat ripens well. This place, 

 then, or the 60th parallel, may be considered as the 

 northern limit of the economical culture of wheat. 



It has been already mentioned that the Wapiti 

 or Wawaskeeshoo of the Crees, the representative of 

 the European red deer, does not range to the north 

 of the River of the Mountains, and the same stream 

 marks the northern limit of the American magpie, 

 Say's grouse, and the white crane (Grus ameri- 

 cana). 



Mr. M'Pherson had most kindly set aside for 

 me a cask of excellent corned beef, cured at the 

 fort, and some bags of very fine potatoes raised at 

 Fort Liard, with several other things which he 

 knew would be serviceable at our winter residence. 

 I left them in store, for Mr. Bell to embark when 

 he came up, together with such supplies of iron- 

 work and dried meat as the depot could furnish, 

 and to convey them to our future winter residence 

 on Great Bear Lake. The boats were hauled up, 

 their bottoms payed over with boiling mineral 



