In the ■ 718. L30 



us. He Baid there was no wood within eleven d 

 march, during which time wa could not have any fire, 

 as the moss, which the Indiana use in their summer 



ursions, would be too wei for burning, in coi 

 quence of the recent rains ; thai we should be forty 

 days in descending the Copper-Mine River, six oi 

 which would be expended in getting to its banks, and 

 that we might b I up by the ice in the next 



moon ; and during the whole journey the party must 

 experience great Buffering for want of food, as the 

 reindeer had already left the river. 



He was now reminded that these statements were 

 v< ry different from the account he had given, both at 

 Port Providence and on the route hither ; and that 

 up to this moment, we had been encouraged by Ids 

 conversation to expect that the party might descend 

 the Copper-Mine River, accompanied by the Indians, 

 lie replied, that at the former place he had been un- 

 acquainted with our slow mode of traveling, and that 

 the alteration, in his opinion, arose from the advai 

 of winter. 



We now informed him, that we were pro\ 

 with instruments by which we could ascertain the 

 stat.- of the air and water, an 1 that we did n >t ima- 

 gine the winter I posed; how- 

 ever, we promised to return on discovering the first 

 change in the Beason. He was also told that all the 



