Harmon's journal. 



257 



definite time. After they arrived at Fort Ver- 

 milion on Peace River, he was treated by his su- 

 periour, Mr. John Clarke, in so unbecoming a 

 manner, that he left them, and had come into this 

 quarter to visit his brother, Mr. James M c DougalL, ' 

 before he should return to Canada, which he de- 

 signed to do the ensuing summer. 



Saturday, July 20. Strawberries begin to rip- 

 en, and we have the prospect of an abundance of 

 them, as well as of other kinds of fruit. 



1 now pass a short time every day, very pleas- 

 antly, in teaching my little daughter Polly to read 

 and spell words in the English language, in which 

 she makes good progress, though she knows ( not 

 the meaning of one of them. In conversing with 

 my children, I use entirely the Cree, Indian lan- 

 guage ; with their mother I more frequently em- 

 ploy the French. Her native tongue, however, is 

 more familiar to her, which is the reason why our 

 children have been taught to speak that, in pref- 

 erence to the French language. 



Tuesday, September 9. Salmon begin to come 

 up this river. 



Thursday, October 3. We have taken our 

 vegetables out of the ground. We have forty- 

 one bushels of potatoes, the produce of one bushel 

 planted the last spring. Our turnips, barley, &c, 

 have produced well. 



33 



