158 Our North Land. 



o'clock on Friday afternoon, and reached our good ship at precisely 

 six. Mr. Cowie accompanied us out with a number of his men, took 

 supper on ship-board, and left us as we were weighing anchor. All 

 the officers and ladies of York came down to the little pier to bid 

 us farewell, as we boarded the sail-boat to take leave of the place. 

 It was a fine, warm, summer-like afternoon, and, as we pushed out, 

 the waving of handkerchiefs and words of kind wishes, and booming 

 of the great gun on the river's bank in the salute of five guns given 

 in honour of the Expedition, rendered the situation very interesting. 

 The people of York were very hospitable indeed. Their kindness 

 did not stop at providing us with the best their supplies afforded to 

 eat and drink, but most of us were favoured with valuable presents 

 to carry home to wife or children. I cannot adequately express the 

 great kindness and generous hospitality of the people of both 

 Churchill and York. We left both places filled with the deepest 

 feelings of respect for the Hudson's Bay folks, sorry to part from 

 them, and glad only that we had commenced the homeward journey. 



