OF THE POLAR SEA. 



55 



been finished, since our arrival, by Mr. Hood, the drawings and 

 the collections of natural history, by the first opportunity to York 

 Factory, for conveyance to England # . 



The houses of the two Companies, at this post, are situated close 

 to each other, at the upper extremity of a narrow island, which 

 separates Pine Island Lake from the Saskatchawan Kiver, and are 

 about two miles and three quarters distant from the latter, in a 

 northern direction. They are log-houses, built without much atten- 

 tion to comfort, surrounded by lofty stockades, and flanked with 

 wooden bastions. The difficulty of conveying glass into the interior 

 has precluded the use of that material in the construction of the 

 windows, and its place is poorly supplied by parchment, imperfectly 

 made by the native women from the skin of the rein-deer. Should 

 this post, however, continue to be the residence of Governor Wil- 

 liams, it will be much improved in a few years, as he is devoting his 

 attention to that point. The land around Cumberland House is 

 low, but the soil, from having a considerable intermixture of limestone, 

 is good, and capable of producing abundance of corn, and vegetables 

 of every description. Many kinds of pot-herbs have already been 

 brought to some perfection, and the potatoes bid fair to equal those 

 of England. The spontaneous productions of nature would afford 

 ample nourishment for all the European animals. Horses feed ex- 

 tremely well even during the winter, and so would oxen , if provided 

 with hay, which may be easily done f . Pigs also improve, but require 



* As Samuel Wilks, who had accompanied the Expedition from England, proved to be 

 quite unequal to the fatigue of the journey, I directed him to be discharged in the spring, 



and sent to England by the next ship. 



f « The wild buffalo scrapes away the snow with its feet to get at the herbage 

 beneath, and the horse, which was introduced by the Spanish invaders of Mexico, and 

 may be said to have become naturalized, does the same ; but it is worthy of remark, that 

 the ox, more lately brought from Europe, has not yet acquired an art so necessary for 

 procuring its food." — (Extract from Dr. Richardson's Journal.) 



