52 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



There was a determined thaw during the last three days, which 

 caused the Saskatchawan River, and some parts of the lake, to break 

 up, and rendered the travelling across either of them dangerous. On 

 this account the absence of Wilks, one of our men, caused no small 

 anxiety. He had incautiously undertaken the charge of conducting 

 a sledge and dogs, in company with a person, going to Swampy 

 River for fish. On their return, being unaccustomed to driving, he 

 became fatigued, and seated himself on his sledge, in which situation 

 his companion left him, presuming that he would soon rise and hasten 

 to follow his track. He however returned safe in the morning, and 

 reported that, foreseeing night would set in before he coul d ge t across 

 the lake, he prudently retired into the woods before dark, where he 

 remained until daylight ; when the men, who had been despatched 

 to look for him, met him returning to the house, shivering with 

 cold, he having been unprovided with the materials for lighting a 

 fire ; which an experienced voyager never neglects to carry. 



We had mild weather until the 20th of December. On the 13th 

 there had been a decided thaw, which caused the Saskatchawan, which 



had again frozen, to re-open, and the passage across it was inter 



rupted for two days. We now received more agreeable accounts 

 from the Indians, who are recovering strength, and beginning to 

 hunt a little ; but it is generally feared that their spirits have been 

 so much depressed by the loss of their children and relatives, that 

 the season will be far advanced before they can be roused to any 

 exertion in searching for animals beyond what may be necessary for 

 their own support. It is much to be regretted that these poor men, 

 during their long intercourse with Europeans, have not been taught 

 how pernicious is the grief which produces total inactivity, and that 

 they have not been furnished with any of the consolations which the 

 Christian religion never fails to afford. This, however, could hardly 

 have been expected from persons who have permitted their own off- 

 spring, the half-casts, to remain in lamentable ignorance on a subject 



