OF THE POLAR SEA. 



69 



the 8th a large house-fly was seen. This in- 

 teresting event spread cheerfulness through 

 our residence, and formed a topic of con- 

 versation for the rest of the day. 



On the 9 th the approacli of spring was 

 still more agreeably confirmed by the ap- 

 pearance of a merganser and two gulls, and 

 some loons, or arctic divers, at the rapid. 

 This day, to reduce the labour of dragging 

 meat to the house, the women and children 

 and all the men, except four, were sent to 

 live at the Indian tents. 



The blue-berries, crow-berries, eye-ber- 

 ries, and cran-berries, which had been 

 covered, and protected by the snow during 

 the winter, might at this time be gathered 

 in abundance, and proved indeed a valuable 

 resource. The ground continued frozen, 

 but the heat of the sun had a visible effect 

 on vegetation ; the sap thawed in the pine- 

 trees, and Dr. Richardson informed me 

 that the mosses were beginning to shoot, 

 and the calyptrae of some of the junger- 

 mannise already visible. 



On the 11th Mr. Wentzel returned from 



