116 Thirty Years 
Our observations place Fort Providence in latitude 
. 62° 17' 19” N., longitude 114° 9’ 28” W. ; the vari- 
ation of the compass is 33° 35’ 55” E., and the diy 
of the needle 86° 38’ 02”. It is distant from Moose- 
Deer Island sixty-six geographic miles. This is the 
last establishment of the traders in this direction, but 
the North-West Company have two to the northward 
of it, on the Mackenzie River. It has been erected 
for the convenience of the Copper and Dog-rib Indians, 
who generally bring such a quantity of reindeer meat 
that the residents are enabled, out of their superabun- 
dance, to send annually some provision to the fort at 
Moose-Deer Island. They also occasionally procure 
moose and buffalo meat, but these animals are not nu- 
merous on this side of the lake. ew furs are collect- 
ed. Les poissons inconnus, trout, pike, carp, and 
white fish, are very plentiful, and on these the resi- 
dents principally subsist. Their great supply of fish 
is procured in the latter part of September and the 
beginning of October, but there are a few taken daily 
in the nets during the winter. The surrounding coun- 
try consists almost entirely of coarse grained granite, 
frequently enclosing large masses of reddish felspar. 
These rocks form hills which attain an elevation of 
three hundred or four hundred feet, about a mile be- 
hind the house ; their surface is generally naked, but 
im tha vallave hatavaan tham a faw enrninoa aanana and 
