PINE FORESTS. Og] 



bii-ds were seen : swans, geese, ducks, liawks, crows, 

 a few guUs, and others ; also frequent tracks of moose 

 and reindeer. One night we took up our quarters in 

 a deserted Indian lodge, a most welcome shelter, of 

 which however we were nearly deprived ; for having 

 lit a fire inside, a spark caught the dry material of the 

 hut, which was constructed of logs and pine-brush, 

 and roofed with bark', and speedily set it in a blaze, 

 which we had some difficulty in quenching. 



One is much struck on first acquaintance with the 

 dense forests, principally of pine, which cover the face 

 of this country, at observing large tracts overrun 

 with fire, which withers and scathes trees and lesser 

 vegetation alike. We saw many such fires and their 

 effects. A spark from an Indian's pipe, or the unex- 

 tinguished fire of a bivouac, ignites the grass and 

 moss, and with a breeze very soon overspreads large 

 spaces. These fires wiU frequently smoulder through- 

 out the summer amongst the moss and underwood, 

 ceasing only when quenched by the winter's snows. 



The ice-master, who was of the party, was unfor- 

 tunately frost-bitten in the toes on the night of the 

 24th. The injmy was much aggravated by exposure 

 to the fire before cii-culation was restored; and he 

 suff'ered long and severely. 



We reached Fort Good Hope in the evening of 



