FROST. 



31 



dogs, accompanied by a sledge with two dogs, 

 to carry the luggage and provisions, and two 

 men as drivers, on the 15th of January, for 

 Brandon House, and Qu'appelle, on the Assini- 

 boine River. After we had travelled about 

 fifteen miles, we stopped on the edge of a 

 wood, and bivouacked on the snow for the night. 

 A large fire was soon kindled, and a supply of 

 wood cut to keep it up ; when supper being 

 prepared and finished, I wrapped myself in my 

 blankets and buffaloe robe, and laid down with 

 a few twigs under me in place of a bed, with 

 my feet towards the fire, and slept soundly 

 under the open canopy of heaven. The next 

 morning we left our encampment before sun- 

 rise ; and the country as we passed presented 

 some beautiful points and bluffs of wood. We 

 started again early the following morning, 

 which was intensely cold; and I had much 

 difficulty in keeping my face from freezing, on 

 my way to the encampment rather late in the 

 evening, at the 6 Portage de Praire, ' In 

 crossing the plain the next morning, with a 

 sharp head wind, my nose and part of my face 

 were frozen quite hard and white. I was not 

 conscious of it, till it was perceived by the 

 driver, who immediately rubbed the parts af- 

 fected well with snow, and restored the circu- 



