140 Thirty Years 



flammatory sore throat, which became daily worse 

 whilst we remained in the tents, bnt began to amend 

 soon after he was enabled to confine himself to the 

 more equable warmth of the house. We took up our 

 abode at first on the floor, but our working party, who 

 had shewn such skill as house-carpenters, soon proved 

 themselves to be, with the same tools, the hatchet 

 and crooked knife, excellent cabinet-makers, and 

 daily added a table, a chair, or bedstead, to the com- 

 forts of our establishment. 



On the 1st of December the sky was clear, a slight 

 appearance of stratus only being visible near the hori- 

 zon ; but a kind of snow fell at intervals in the fore- 

 noon, its particles so minute as to be observed only in 

 sunshine. Towards noon the snow became mere 

 apparent, and the two limbs of a prismatic arch were 

 visible^ one on each side of the sun near its place in 

 the heavens, the centre being deficient. We have 

 frequently observed this descent of minute icy spicuho 

 when the sky appears perfectly clear, and could even 

 perceive that its silent, but continued action, added 



the snowy covering of the ground. 



Baving reci ived one hundred balls from Fori Provi- 



by 15i danger, we distributed them among the 



Indians, informing the leader at the same time, that 



idi no of so Large a party as his at the house, 



amounting, with women and children, to forty souls, 



