252 SULTRY WEATHER. 



they returned to the fishery with the assurance 

 that he had not stopped between their last en- 

 campment and the islands, from which the tra- 

 verse is made to the south shore ; on the 

 contrary, they concluded that he had crossed 

 over, and made the best of his way to Fort 

 Resolution. For my own part I much doubted 

 this ; but, at all events, it was consolatory to 

 know that he had a compass, and was not des- 

 titute of provision. 



Towards the end of the month, the weather 

 became sultry, the temperature in the sun being 

 106° ; an extraordinary contrast to that of the 

 17th January, when it was 70° below zero. The 

 snow was all gone, except that which had been 

 drifted to a great depth in the narrow valleys, 

 and under steep precipices ; and the Al-hel- 

 dessy, to the westward, had burst its icy fetters, 

 and opened a clear channel to the portage oppo- 

 site the house: loons, gulls, and ducks took 

 possession of the water, and seemed to contend 

 which should make the most noise ; some small 

 birds also, very prettily marked, hovered about a 

 short time, and then both they and the ducks sud- 

 denly deserted us. Akaitcho and thirty of his 

 tribe arrived, empty-handed, and were followed 

 by a couple of young Chipewyans, who brought 

 a little dry meat from the Yellow Knife River, 

 where one of their party had died from want. 



