32 



FROST. 



lation, so that I suffered no inconvenience 

 from the circumstance, but was obliged to 

 keep my face covered with a blanket as I lay 

 in the cariole the remaining part of the day. 



On the 19th we were on the march as early 

 as half past four, and had a sharp piercing wind 

 in our faces, which drifted the snow, and made 

 the track very bad for the dogs. This greatly 

 impeded our progress ; and our provisions 

 being short, I shot some ptarmigans, which 

 were frequently seen on our route. We per- 

 ceived some traces of the buffaloe, and the wolf 

 was frequently seen following our track, or 

 crossing in the line we were travelling. Jan. 

 20. We started at sunrise, with a very cold 

 head wind; and my favourite English watch 

 dog, Neptune, left the encampment, to follow us, 

 with great reluctance. I was apprehensive that 

 he might turn back, on account of the severity 

 of the morning ; and being obliged to put 

 my head under the blanket in the cariole, I 

 requested the driver to encourage him along. 

 We had not pursued our journey however more 

 than an hour, before I was grieved to find that 

 the piercing keenness of the wind had forced 

 him to return; and the poor animal was pro- 

 bably soon after devoured by the wolves. 



We arrived at Brandon House, the Company's 



