OF THE POLAR SEA. 189 
found the body of a female, clothed in leather, 
which appeared to have been recently placed 
there. Her former garments, the materials for 
making a fire, a fishing-line, a hatchet, and a 
bark dish, were laid beside the corpse. The 
wood was carefully replaced. A small owl, 
perched on a tree near the spot, called forth 
many singular remarks from our companions, as 
to its being a good or bad omen. 
We walked the whole of the 13th over flat mea- 
dow-land, which is much resorted to by the buffalo 
at all seasons. Some herds of them were seen, 
which our hunters were too unskilful to approach. 
In the afternoon we reached the Stinking Lake, 
which is nearly of an oval form. Its shores are 
very low and Swampy, to which circumstances, 
and not to the bad quality of the waters, it owes 
its Indian name. Our observations place its 
western part in latitude 53° 25’ 24” N., longi- 
tude 107° 18’ 58” W., variation 20° 32’ 10” E. 
After a march of fifteen miles and a half, we 
encamped among a few pines, at the only spot at 
which we saw sufficient wood for making our fire 
during the day. The next morning, about an 
hour after we had commenced our march, we came 
| upon a beaten track, and perceived recent marks 
of snow-shoes. Ina short time an Iroquois join- 
ed us, who was residing with a party of Cree 
+ 
