132 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



meat they might procure near to the edge of the 

 lake, and set up marks to guide us to the spots. 

 Akaitcho, his brother, the guide, and three other 

 men, remained to accompany us. We were much 

 surprised to perceive an extraordinary difference 

 in chmate in so short an advance to the northward 

 as fifty miles. The snow here was lying in large 

 patches on the hills. The dwarf-birch and willows 

 were only just beginning to open their buds, 

 which had burst forth at Fort Enterprise many 

 days previous to our departure. Vegetation 

 seemed to be three weeks or a month later here 

 than at that place. We had heavy showers of 

 rain through the night of the 22d, which melted 

 the snow, and visibly wasted the ice. 



On the 23d, the men were busily employed in 

 making their trains, and in pounding the meat for 

 pemmican. The situation of the encampment 

 was ascertained, latitude 65° 12' 40' N., longi- 

 tude 1 13^ 8' 25'' W., and the variation 43° 4' 20" E. 

 The arrangements being (Completed, we purposed 

 commencing our journey next morning, but the 

 weather was too stormy to admit of our venturing 

 upon the lake with the canoes. In the afternoon 

 a heavy fall of snow took place, which was suc- 

 ceeded by sleet and rain, The north-east gale 

 contmued, but the thermometer rose to 39°. 



