PRESENCE OF TWO RAVENS. 2 ±3 



though they were unfortunately far away, and 

 held out an unlimited reward to any who should 

 find and save him. The ready zeal with which 

 Augustus had volunteered to partake the hard 

 fortunes of the service, his attachment and 

 generous devotion to myself, and the proba- 

 bility that his recompence had been a shocking 

 and untimely death, impressed me with a melan- 

 choly that for some time fixed deeply in my mind. 



By letters from York Factory, we were in- 

 formed that the Company's two ships were forced 

 to winter in the bay ; — one at Churchill, and 

 the other at Charlton Island, — owing, as was 

 said, to the vast quantity of drift ice which 

 blocked up Hudson's Straits, and cut off all 

 communication with the Atlantic. But I was 

 requested to be under no uneasiness as regarded 

 the expedition, since the letters for England 

 were to be sent by Canada, and all my demands 

 would be punctually attended to. 



April 20th. — For the last fifteen days our 

 habitation had been rendered more cheerful by 

 the presence of two ravens, which having, by 

 my express directions, been left unmolested, 

 had become so tame as scarcely to move ten 

 paces when any one passed them ; they were 

 the only living things that held communion with 

 us, and it was a pleasure to see them gambol in 

 their glossy plumage on the white snow. 



r 2 



