In the Arctic Regions. 83 
> 
were obliged to halt under the shelter of them, and 
await the arrival of our Indian guide. He conducted 
us between these islands, over a small lake, and by a 
swampy river, into the Athabasca Lake, from whence 
the establishments were visible. At four Pp. Mm. we had 
the pleasure of arriving at Fort Chipewyan, and of 
being received by Messrs. Keith and Black, the part- 
ners of the North-West Company in charge, in the 
most kind and hospitable manner. Thus has termina- 
ted a winter’s journey of eight hundred and fifty-seven 
miles, in the progress of which there has been a great 
intermixture of agreeable and disagreeable circum- 
stances, Could the amount of each be ballanced, I 
suspect the latter would much preponderate ; and 
amongst these the initiation into the practice of walk- 
ing in snow-shoes must be considered as prominent. 
The suffering it occasions can be but faintly imagined 
by a person who thinks upon the inconvenience of 
marching with a weight of between two and three 
pounds constantly attached to galled feet, and swelled : 
ankles. Perseverance and practice only will enable 
the novice to surmount this pain. 
The next evil is the being constantly exposed to 
witness the wanton and unnecessary cruelty of the 
men to their dogs, especially those of the Canadians, 
who beat them unmercifully, and habitually vent on 
them the most dreadful and disgusting imprecationa 
