INTRODUCTION. 



IX 



Trusting to the country for supplies is not without risk, as in feome years provisions are 

 very scarce, and instances of starvation are not unknown at the Hudson's Bay Company's 

 posts. 



The time available for preparation (not quite six weeks) was so short that it was not 

 possible to have any instruments specially made for the Expedition, all that could be done 

 was to select the most suitable of those that were in stock at Kew and at the Meteoroloo-ical 

 Office. 



The Expedition sailed from Liverpool on the 11th May for Quebec, and travelled thence 

 via Winnipeg to Carlton on the Saskatchewan. At Carlton it took leave of civilisation and 

 travelled northwards, for the most part by boat, for two months, I'eaching Port Rae on the 

 30th August. 



This latter part of the journey was not so trying to the instruments as might have been 

 supposed, as at the portages (where owing to rapids the boats have to be carried overland) 

 it was possible to see that cases containing fragile instruments were treated with care, 

 but when travelling by rail they could not always be protected from rough usage at the hands 

 of railway employes. Transport in springless bullock carts over exceedingly rough roads 

 also exposed the instruments to many unavoidable concussions. 



On the Great Slave Lake, the crossing of which, owing to stormy weather, occupied eight 

 days, the boat was stove in, and sunk in a gale ; some of the provisions were damaged and 

 destroyed, and most of the cases of instruments were submerged. 



Longitude 



WtST 



Crecnwich, 



GREAT SL 



LAKE 



AVE 



A 17420. 



Fig. 1. 



Map of part of the G-reat Slave Lake. 



