OF THE POLAR SEA. 



23 



with the object of our mission, and recom- 

 mended him to keep at peace with his 

 neighbouring tribes, and to conduct himself 

 with attention and friendship towards the 

 whites. I then gave him a medal, telling 

 him it was the picture of the King, whom 

 they emphatically term * their Great Father.' 



" November 18. — We observed two mock 

 moons at equal distances from the central 

 one; and the whole were encircled by a 

 halo; the colour of the inner edge of the 

 large circle was a light red, inclining to a 

 faint purple. 



" November 20. — Two parhelia were ob- 

 servable with a halo; the colours of the 

 inner edge of the circle were a bright car- 

 mine and red lake, intermingled with a rich 

 yellow, forming a purplish orange ; the 

 outer edge was pale gamboge* 



" December 5. — A man was sent some 

 distance on the lake, to see if it was suffi - 

 ciently frozen for us to cross. I need 

 scarcely mention my satisfaction, when he 

 returned with the pleasing information that 

 it was. 



