In the Arctic Regions. 89 
were seen on the 21st, and some were brought to the 
house on the 30th, but they were very lean; on the 
25th flies were seen sporting in the sun, and on the 
26th the ice on the lake, near the channel of the river, 
was overflowed, in consequence of the Athabasca river 
having broken up ; but except where this water spread, 
there was no appearance of decay in the ice. 
May.—During the first part of this month, the wind 
blew from the N.W., and the sky was cloudy. It 
generally thawed during the day, but froze through 
the night. On the 2d the Aurora faintly gleamed 
through very dense clouds. 
We had a long conversation with Mr. Dease of the 
North-West Company, who had recently arrived from 
his station at the bottom of the Athabasca Lake. 
This gentleman, having passed several winters on the 
Mackenzie's River, and at the posts to the northward 
of Slave Lake, possessed considerable information res- 
pecting the Indians, and those parts of the country 
to which our inquiries were directed, which he very 
promptly and kindly communicated. During our con- 
versation, an old Chipewyan Indian, named the Rab-_ 
bit’s Head, entered the room, to whom Mr, Dease re- 
ferred for information on some point. We found from 
his answer that he was a step son of the late Chief 
Matonnabee, who had accompanied Mr. Hearne on his 
journey to the sea, and that he had himself been of 
