348 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
ing of the 25th, we were surprised by some early 
symptoms of the approach of winter ; the small 
pools were frozen over, and a flock of geese 
passed to the southward. In the afternoon, how- 
ever, a fog came on, which afterwards changed 
into rain, and the ice quickly disappeared. We 
suffered great anxiety all the next day respecting 
John Hepburn, who had gone to hunt before sun- 
rise on the 25th, and had been absent ever since. 
About four hours after his departure the wind 
changed, and a dense fog obscured every mark 
by which his course to the tents could be directed, 
and we thought it probable he had been wander- 
ing in an opposite direction to our situation, as 
the two hunters, who had been sent to look for 
him, returned at sunset without having seen him. - 
Alninho: semabiaei his party, and we were 
at finding they had stored 
up aay fifteen rein-deer for us. St. Germain 
informed us, that having heard of the death of 
the chief's brother-in-law, they had spent several 
days in bewailing his loss, instead of hunting. 
We learned also, that the decease of this man 
had caused another party of the tribe, who had 
been sent by Mr. Wentzel to prepare provision 
for us on the banks of the Copper-Mine River, 
to remove to the shores of the Great Bear Lake, 
