280 COMFORTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



Separation, the head of the delta, we encamped late 

 in the evening, if that may be called encamping which 

 was simply lighting a fire and squatting round it, 

 with no other shelter than our sail — a very small 

 afFaii- — to protect six people. Soon after landing one 

 of the crew informed me he had seen an Esquimaux 

 oomiak pulling up in-shore at dusk ; but not having 

 been certain, would not mention it at the time. 

 Desiring him never again to hesitate in such a case, 

 I set a watch dming the night, and had the arms in 

 readiness ; but we saw no sign of the bugbear, and I 

 do not doubt he was mistaken. I had procm-ed 

 a blanket for each man at Peel's River ; this comfort- 

 able provision modified, in a measure, the severity of 

 our journey ; but at this late period of the season we 

 suffered sufficiently from its inclemency, as frost and 

 snow had set in. At that period I was so little expe- 

 rienced in this mode of travelling, as to be unable to 

 avail myself of many now well-known expedients for 

 additional comfort. Nor had the gentlemen at Tort 

 Mac Pherson thought of enhghtening my ignorance, 

 being so much accustomed to this primitive life as to 

 dedln it probably a matter of course that we should 

 know all about it. In our ascent of the river we had 

 varied fortune ; an occasional fine day, but more 

 generally snow and sleet, with biting winds. Many 



