OF THE POLAR SEA. 



97 



herself on a hill at some distance from the 

 house, but was afraid to approach us, until 

 the interpreter went and told her that nei- 

 ther we nor the Indian who remained with 

 us, would prevent her from going where 

 she pleased. Upon this she came to solicit 

 a fire-steel and kettle. She was at first 

 low-spirited, from the non-arrival of a coun- 

 try-woman who had promised to elope with 

 her, but had probably been too narrowly 

 watched. The Indian hunter, however, 

 having given her some directions as to the 

 proper mode of joining her own tribe, she 

 became more composed, and ultimately 

 agreed to adopt his advice of proceeding 

 at once to Fort Providence, instead of wan- 

 dering about the country all the summer in 

 search of them, at the imminent hazard of 

 being starved. 



On the 7th the wind, shifting to the * 

 southward, dispersed the clouds which had 

 obscured the sky for several days, and pro- 

 duced a change of temperature under which 

 the snow rapidly disappeared. The ther- 

 mometer rose to 73°, many flies came forth, 



VOL. III. H 



