FINE WEATHER. 287 



dav. The weather was now clear and warm, 

 the thermometer being 66° in the sun, and 54° 

 in the shade ; so that not only were the dogs 

 panting from heat, but as the snow was made 

 slushy, and the surface of the ice softened, there 

 was great difficulty in dragging the boat along 

 at all. However, by 9 p«m. the whole party came 

 up, and we encamped. 



The tent was not well up before the report of 

 a gun on the opposite shore attracted our atten- 

 tion to two Indians, who, on a nearer approach, 

 proved to be the runaway guides. They were 

 the bearers of a note from Mr. M c Leod, who 

 very properly insisted on their returning to me 

 immediately. Their story to him was, that being 

 ordered by me to hunt a little in advance, and 

 finding no traces of deer, they could not resist 

 the temptation of accompanying some of their 

 friends whom accident threw in their way ; and 

 as for my requiring a guide, they never so much 

 as thought it possible, because I had always my 

 " little sun," meaning the compass, which I had 

 only to ask, to be informed of the direction of 

 any part of the country. 



June 24th. — A warm day was so great a novelty, 

 and so much needed, that I rested, for the pur- 

 pose of enabling the men to dry their clothes 

 and blankets, and getting observations myself 

 for time and latitude. To collect a few willows 



