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and cataracts, from ten to fixty feet perpendicular. Down thefe rivers the Jndian 
traders find a quick paflage ; but their return is a labor of many months, 
As far inland as the Company have fettlements, which is fix hundred miles to the 
welt, at a place called Hudfon Houfe, lat. 53. long. 106. 27, from London, is flat 
country : nor is it known how far to the eaftward the great chain, feen by our 
navigators from the Pacific Ocean, branches off. 
The climate, even’about Haye’s river, in only lat. 57, is, during winter, ex- 
cefively cold. The fnows begin to fall in Oé?ober, and continue falling by in- 
tervals the whole winter ; and, when the froft is moft rigorous, in form of the fineft 
fand. The ice on the rivers is eight feet thick. Port wine freezes into a folid 
mafs; brandy coagulates. The very breath fell on the blankets of the beds in form 
of a hoar froft, and the bed-cloaths often were found frozen to the wall*, The 
fun rifes, in the fhorteft day, at five minutes paft nine, and fets five minutes 
before three. In the longeft day the fun rifes at three, and fets about nine. The 
ice begins to difappear in May, and hot weather commences about the middle of 
Fune; which, at times, is fo violent, as to fcorch the face of the hunters. ‘Thun 
der is not frequent, but very violent. But there muft be great difference of heat 
and cold in this vaft extent, which reaches from lat. 50. 40, to lat. 63, north. 
During winter the firmament is not without its beauties. Mock funs and 
halds are not infrequent; are very bright, and richly tinged with all the colors of 
the rainbow. ‘The fun rifes and fets with a large cone of yellowifh light. The 
night is enlivened with the Aurora Borealis, which fpreads a thoufand different 
lights and colors over the whole concave of the fky, not to be defaced even by the 
fplendor of the full moon ; and the ftars are of a fiery rednefs +. 
Hudfon’s Bay is very ill fupplied with Fifth. The common Whale is frequent 
there. The Company have attempted to eftablifh a fifhery ; and for that pur- 
pofe procured experienced people from the Spitzbergen fhips, and made confi- 
derable trials between lat. 61 and 69; but, after expending twenty thoufand pounds, 
and taking only three fifh, were, in 1771, obliged to defift. The ice prevent- 
ed the veflels from getting to a proper ftation in due time ; and the hard gales, 
and quick return of winter, always deprived them of an opportunity of making 
“a fair trial. The fifhery of the Beluga, or White Whale, is attended with more 
fuccefs. It haunts the mouths of rivers in Zune, as foon as they have difcharged 
the ice, and are taken in great numbers. There are two varieties ; one with a 
blue caft, the other of a pure white. Thefe animals, probably, fuperfete ; a 
* Voy. to Hudfon’s Bay, 1746, written by the Clerk of the California, i. 159. His name was 
Drage ; his account is fenfible and entertaining. + Ellis, 172. 
i foetus 
