46 Fhirty Years 
in them ourselves, we did not set- out without 
considerable grumbling from the voyagers of both 
Companies, respecting the overlading of their dogs. 
However, we left the matter to be settled by our 
friends at the fort, who were more conversant with 
winter traveling than ourselves. Indeed, the loads 
appeared to us so great that we-should have been 
inclined to listen to the complaints of the drivers, 
The- weight usually placed upon a sledge, drawn by. 
three dogs, cannot, at the commencement of a journey, 
be estimated at less than three hundred pounds, which, 
however, suffers a daily diminution from the con- 
sumption of ‘provisions. The sledge itself weighs 
about thirty pounds. When the snow is hard frozen, 
or the track well trodden, the rate of traveling is 
about two miles and a half an hour, including rests, 
or about fifteen milesaday. If the snow is loose, 
the speed is necessarily much less and the fatigue 
greater. 
At eight in the morning of the 18th, we quitted the 
fort, and took leave of our hospitable friend, Governor 
Williams, whose kindness and attention I shall ever 
remember with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hood, 
and Mr. Connolly, accompanied us along the Sas- | 
katchawan, until the snow became too deep for their 
walking without snow-shoes. We then parted from 
our associates, with sincere regret at the prospect of a 
