OF THE POLAR SEA. 



121 



the foot of each. The destructive ravages of fire were visible during 

 the greater part of the day. The only wood we saw for miles toge- 

 ther consisted of pine-trees, stript of their branches and bark by this 

 element : in other parts poplars alone were growing, which we have 

 remarked invariably to succeed the pine after a conflagration, We 

 walked twenty miles to-day, but the direct distance was only sixteen 



miles. 



The remains of an Indian hut were found in a deep glen, and 



close to it was placed a pile of wood, which our companions sup- 

 posed to cover a deposit of provision. Our Canadian voyagers, in- 

 duced by an insatiable desire of procuring food, proceeded to remove 

 the upper pieces, and examine its contents ; when, to their surprise, 

 they found the body of a female, clothed in leather, which appeared 

 to have been recently placed there. Her former garments, the ma- 

 terials for making a fire, a fishing-line, a hatchet, and a bark dish, 

 were laid beside the corpse. The wood was carefully replaced. A 

 small owl, perched on a tree near the spot, called forth many singular 

 remarks from our companions, as to its being a good or bad omen. 



We walked the whole of the 1 3th over flat meadow-land, which 

 is much resorted to by the buffalo at all seasons. We saw some 

 herds, but our hunters were too unskilful to get within shot. In 

 the afternoon we reached the Stinking Lake, which is nearly of an 

 oval form. Its shores are very low and swampy, to which circum- 

 stances, and not to the bad quality of the waters, it owes its Indian 

 name. Our observations place its western part in latitude 53° 25' 24" 

 N., longitude 107° 18' 58" W., variation 20° 52' 10" E. 



After a march of fifteen miles and a half, we encamped among a 

 few pines, at the only spot at which we saw sufficient wood for making 

 our fire during the day. The next morning, about an hour after 

 we had commenced our march, we came upon a beaten track, and 

 perceived recent marks of snow-shoes. In a short time an Iroquois 

 joined us, who was residing with a party of Cree Indians, to secure 



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