126 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1771. in such places as lay exposed to the mid-day sun, and were 

 ^^^^^- sheltered from all the cold winds. 

 19th. On the nineteenth, as we were continuing our course 

 to the West and West by South, we saw the tracks of several 

 strangers ; and on following the main path, we arrived that 

 night at five tents of Northern Indians, who had resided there 

 great part of the Winter, snaring deer in the same manner as 

 those before mentioned. Indeed, it should [86] seem that this, 

 as well as some other places, had been frequented more than 

 once on this occasion ; for the wood that had been cut down 

 for fewel, and other uses, was almost incredible. Before 

 20th. morning, the weather became so bad, and the storm continued 

 to rage with such violence, that we did not move for several 

 days ; and as some of the Indians we met with at this place 

 were going to Prince of Wales's Fort in the Summer, I 

 embraced the opportunity of sending by them a Letter to 

 the Chief at that Fort, agreeably to the tenor of my instruc- 

 tions. By summing up my courses and distances from my 

 last observation, for the weather at that time would not 

 permit me to observe, I judged myself to be in latitude 

 61° 30' North, and about 19" 60' of longitude to the 

 West of Churchill River. This, and some accounts of 

 the usage I received from the natives, with my opinion 

 of the future success of the journey, formed the contents 

 of my Letter. 

 23d. On the twenty-third, the weather became fine and 

 moderate, so we once more pursued our way, and the next 

 26ih. day, as well as on the twenty-sixth, saw several more tents 

 of Northern Indians, who were employed in the same 

 manner as those we had formerly met ; but some of them 

 having had bad success, and being relations or acquaint- 

 ances of part of my crew, joined our company, and 

 proceeded with us to the Westward. Though the deer 

 did not then keep regular paths, so as to enable the 

 Indians to catch them in pounds, yet they were to be 



