SET OUT ON MY RETURN. 463 



the dogs and sledges were got ready early in 

 March. I then directed Mr. King to proceed 

 at the proper season with the Europeans to 

 York Factory, when they would embark in the 

 Company's ship for England ; and taking leave 

 of my companion, on the 21st of March I went 

 towards the fisheries, where, having bade farewell 

 to my esteemed friend Mr. M c Leod, I set out, 

 and shortly reached Fort Resolution. Here 

 having been kindly supplied with every thing 

 necessary to forward me, on the 10th of April 

 I arrived at Fort Chipewyan, where I was also 

 hospitably entertained by Mr. E. Smith, a chief 

 factor in the Company's service. 



I was informed that the winter had been un- 

 usually mild round Chipewyan, as well as in the 

 neighbourhood of Peace River, and that very 

 little snow had fallen at either place. The ac- 

 counts of the atmospheric register kept on the 

 banks of the M c Kenzie River gave a similar 

 result; while at Fort Reliance the cold, though 

 considerably less severe than that of the preceding 

 season, had still been so keen that the daily walk 

 for exercise on the wood track behind the Fort 

 could not be taken without the risk of being 

 frost-bitten. Many of the people, indeed, suf- 

 fered severely in this way while going to and 

 from our fishery, when, as we afterwards learned 

 the weather a little to the westward was mild, 

 and at times almost warm ; so that it is evident 



