SOURCE OF ST. PETEr's RIVER. 209 



result from the local circumstances that may have influ- 

 enced these partial deposites. 



Those geologists, who have been called upon to make 

 observations in a wild and uncultivated country, where the 

 rocks are frequently concealed by a luxuriant vegetation, 

 where the industry of man has not penetrated by means 

 of quarries, wells, &c. into the bowels of the earth, and 

 where no facilities exist to roam at large in search of breaks, 

 will, we think, appreciate the difficulties which we have had 

 to encounter in the examination of this section of the coun- 

 try ; difficulties which have been increased by the loss of 

 our specimens, whence we have been obliged to depend 

 exclusively upon the descriptions recorded in our notes at 

 the time, without being allowed an opportunity of com- 

 paring the characters of the rocks with those observed on 

 former occasions. 



Observations were made by Mr. Colhoun for the pur- 

 pose of ascertaining the longitude of our encampment on 

 the Wassemon, which he determined to be 90° 4' 45" 

 West. The latitude was also obtained by observations made 

 at midnight, and was found to be 42° 30' 10" North. We 

 remarked with pleasure the surprise and delight expressed 

 in Wennebea's face, duri ng these observations. His astonish- 

 ment at the characters of the mercury, used for an artificial 

 horizon, showed that he had never seen any thing like it; 

 his delight was strongly marked every time he placed his 

 fingei: upon the bright and dense mercury, and observed the 

 fluid, receding from his touch, and receiving an impression 

 as though it had been water ; yet, as he observed, not pos- 

 sessed of the property of wetting his finger like the latter 

 fluid. He was shown the construction of the sextant, and 

 very soon learnt the use of it. As soon as he saw the 

 double image of the moon, he raised his two fingers in 



Vol. I. 27 



