56 HARMON'S JOURNAL. 



ed, and walked along on the beach about four miles, 

 in the snow, mud and water. The people, also, 

 for want of a sufficiency of water, were obliged to 

 debark, and drag their canoes up the shallow 

 places. But we are now encamped around a 

 large fire, with plenty of food; I have given to 

 each of the people a dram, and we have all ceas- 

 ed to think of the fatigue and trouble of the day. 

 To make a place to lie down, the people scrape 

 away the snow, and lay down a few branches of 

 the pine, such as this country in every part pro- 

 duces ; and on this we spread a blanket or two, 

 and cover ourselves with another. A day of hard 

 labour, and of great fatigue, will enable a person 

 to sleep soundly, on such a bed ; and to obtain 

 refreshment, such as a sluggard will seek for in 

 vain, on a bed of down. 



Friday, 10. Swan River Fort. In the morn- 

 ing we crossed Swan Lake, which is nearly eight 

 miles long, and then entered the Great Swan 

 River. This river is about eleven rods wide ; 

 there is a sufficiency of water, and there is no 

 rapid from its mouth to the fort, a distance of 

 twelve miles. The country adjoining, is low, and 

 in many places, swampy, and the soil is rich. 

 Mons. Perigne, the superintendant of the fort, has 

 a tolerable kitchen garden. The Hudson Bay 

 people, once came here ; but it is several years 



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