118 THE GREAT NORTH-WEST 



minutes, it will be seen what a boon these articles are to 

 the wanderer in these lonely wildernesses. 



When fresh showers of snow fall on the frozen 

 surface it often lies there loose for a time ; and it is a 

 curious sight to see the wind driving it about like dust 

 on a dry road. Of course it drifts into hollows and 

 crevasses ; but there is little or no danger of these be- 

 coming dangerous pitfalls to the unwary wanderer, for 

 where the snow remains stationary in mid-winter it is 

 always frozen firmly over in a single night ; and it is 

 possible that the snow-shoes often carry a person over 

 spots that would be frightful to look down when free of 

 snow. For here and there about this country there are 

 crevasses, or cracks, in the ground similar to those found 

 in Colorado and other parts of the States, though on 

 nothing like so extensive a scale. Some of these 

 crevasses are at least thirty feet deep, and so steep and 

 narrow that a man falling in could not possibly get out 

 without assistance. The cause of these crevasses is 

 difficult to conjecture, unless it is owing to the freezing 

 of water collected in cracks of the ground. In the deserts 

 of the Southern and Western States they seem to 

 originate in the extreme dryness of the soil. 



As soon as the ground was in a fit state to travel 

 over we started in pursuit of deer. I am of opinion that 

 when there is snow on the ground, and deer are not 

 disturbed, they do not wander much, but spend the 

 entire winter within a very confined area. I allude to 

 all species of deer found in the northern regions. 

 Already the moose-yard has been referred to ; and with 

 regard to cariboo they seem to take up their quarters 

 under the shade of a wood and remain there, if not 

 disturbed by wolves or trappers. That is the case about 

 here ; but farther north, where there are few trees and 

 wide areas of open rocky ground, their habits must be 

 different. During the winter moss forms the chief 

 food of the cariboo ; but they also browse on the leaves 



