204 THE NORTH-WEST PASSAGE BY LAND. 



Mr. O'B., who had walked on the night before to 

 see the priest, and suffered dreadful anxiety at our 

 non-appearance until dusk. The next day we stayed 

 at St. Alban's, exchanging some lean horses for fatter 

 ones. Just before dark Mr. O'B. came to us, and 

 begged us to move on that evening, as the next day 

 would be the 5th of June, the anniversary of his de- 

 parture from Eed Eiver, in the first portion of his 

 journey to British Columbia, which had proved so un- 

 fortunate, and he felt a superstitious dread of the 

 coincidence. However, it was already too late, and 

 Mr. O'B. had the opportunity of verifying the truth 

 of his presentiments. 



The road to Lake St. Ann's passed through a fertile 

 and park-like country for about fifty miles, but at St. 

 Ann's the thick forest commences, which extends far 

 to the north, and westward to the mountains. St. 

 Ann's was, doubtless, chosen as the site for a settle- 

 ment on account of the immense number of the core- 

 gonus, or white-fish, furnished by the lake, forming the 

 staple food of the inhabitants ; but it is ill adapted for 

 farming, on account of the timber, which has been very 

 partially cleared away for little fields of potatoes and 

 grain. This disadvantage has already been felt by the 

 settlers, many of whom have migrated to the more 

 promising site of St. Alban's. The lake is a pretty sheet 

 of water, several miles in length, its shores dotted on 

 the western side by forty or fifty houses, and a church. 

 Mr. Colin Eraser, the Company's officer, treated us 

 very kindly, gave us milk, potatoes, and delicious fre sh 

 white-fish, and amused us over our evening pipes by 

 stories of the good old times, when the wood buffalo 



