DOMICILED IN THE NEW BUILDING. 205 



somewhat brightened by the accidental but well- 

 timed arrival of two young hunters, who, having 

 separated from Akaitcho to look for deer, had 

 fallen on a large herd, some of which they had 

 killed, but, in returning to inform the chief of 

 their good fortune, had got bewildered in fogs, 

 and finding themselves, when the weather 

 cleared, within a day's march of our situation, 

 could not resist the temptation to get a little 

 tobacco in exchange, to us most welcome, for 

 some fresh meat. In a few hours, all who were 

 capable of exertion set off for the land of pro- 

 mise ; and, for a time, the immediate prospect of 

 want was removed. 



On the 5th of November, we had the pleasure 

 of changing our cold tents for the comparative 

 comfort of the house, which, like most of those 

 in this country, was constructed of a framework, 

 filled up with logs let into grooves, and closely 

 plastered with a cement composed of common 

 clay and sand. The roof was formed of a num- 

 ber of single slabs, extending slantingly from the 

 ridge pole to the eaves ; and the whole was 

 rendered tolerably tight by a mixture of dry 

 grass, clay, and sand, which was beat down 

 between the slabs, and subsequently coated over 

 with a thin layer of mud. The house was fifty 

 feet long and thirty broad ; having four separate 

 rooms, with a spacious hall in the centre for the 



