178 



Capt. H. P. Dawson. 



[Dec. 20, 



Food, fyc. 



Our snpply of provisions proved quite sufficient. I had brought 

 enough flour to admit of my issuing the usual ration of j lb. per 

 diem, and tobacco 1 lb. per month to each man. We also had a 

 supply of Chollet's preserved vegetables, and a reserve stock of bacon, 

 besides tea and sugar. Of the latter we were somewhat short, owing 

 to the loss sustained on the journey np. We usually had fresh meat 

 throughout the winter ; in the summer we were occasionally reduced 

 to dried meat. During the journey there and back we chiefly lived 

 on pemmican. The Rev. Pere Roure, of the Roman Catholic Mission, 

 most kindly furnished us with fresh vegetables and potatoes through- 

 out the summer. 



The conduct of the men under my command was everything that 

 could be desired. They took great interest in the observations, and 

 did their best to carry them out with accuracy and punctuality, and 

 were always contented and cheerful, in spite of the inevitable dis- 

 comforts of their winter quarters and the occasional hardships of the 

 journey. 



Heturn Journey. 



We were running great risk of being overtaken by the winter, and 

 therefore lost no time in onr departure. 



The last hourly observation was made at midnight on the 1 

 31st August, 1883, after which the instruments were dismounted and 

 packed, their cases having been previously arranged in readiness out- 

 side the observatory. The remainder of the baggage was already in 

 the boat, so that by 2.30 a.m. on the 1st September we were en 

 route, and reached Fort Chipewyan on the 17th September, and 

 Portage la Loche on the 4th October, having experienced some delay 

 in surmounting the rapids of the Clearwater, the hard frosts having 

 frozen all the small tributary streams, thus considerably lowering the 

 water in the river. 



The boat awaiting us on the south side of the portage was frozen 

 in, but fortunately the wind changed and the ice broke up before our 

 arrival. Had it been otherwise we must have waited until the rivers 

 were thoroughly frozen, and travelling with dog trains possible. In 

 that case we should have been compelled to abandon our instruments 

 and baggage. 



On the 21st we reached Carlton on the Saskatchewan, where 

 we were detained a day, the man engaged to transport our bag- 

 gage across the prairie having refused to proceed. Another man 

 was engaged, and on the 31st October we reached the railway at 

 Qu'Appelle, arriving at Winnipeg the following day. We were fortu- 

 nate in crossing the prairie with so little difficulty, as at the same 

 time last year it was covered with three feet of snow. 



