OF THE POLAR SEA. 965 
harness about them, and the sledges deeply 
buried in the snow. The effects of this accident 
did not detain us long, and we proceeded. after- 
wards with greater caution. 
The air was warm at noon, and the solitary 
but sweet notes of the jay, the earliest spring 
bird were in every wood. Late in the evening 
we descried the ravens wheeling in circles round 
a small grove of poplars, and, according to our 
expectations, found the Indians encamped there. 
The men were absent hunting, and returned 
unsuccessful. They had been several re 
depend upon the continuance of their exertions, 
I gave them a little rum; the next day they set 
out, and at midnight they swept by us with their 
dogs in close pursuit. 
In the morning we found that a moose had 
eaten the bark of a tree near our fire. The 
hunters, however, again failed; and they attri- 
buted. the extreme difficulty of approaching the 
chase, to the calmness of the weather, which 
enabled it to hear them at a great distance. 
They concluded, as usual, when labouring 
y affliction, that they were tormented 
; ‘spirit; and assembled to beat a large 
tambourine, and sing an address to the manito, 
or deity, praying for relief, according to the 
