188 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



quitted the fort, and took leave of our hos- 

 pitable friend, Governor Williams, whose 

 kindness and attention I shall ever remem- 

 ber with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. 

 Hood, and Mr. Connolly, accompanied us 

 along the Saskatchawan until the snow be- 

 came too deep for their walking without 

 snow-shoes. We then parted from our 

 associates, with sincere regret at the pro- 

 spect of a long separation. Being accom- 

 panied by Mr. Mackenzie of the Hudson's 

 Bay Company, who was going to the Isle 

 a la Crosse, with four sledges under his 

 charge, we formed quite a procession, keep- 

 ing in an Indian file, on the track of the mai* 

 who preceded the foremost dogs ; but, as 

 the snow was deep, we proceeded slowly 

 on the surface of the river, which is about 

 three hundred and fifty yards wide, for the 

 distance of six miles, which we went this 

 day. Its alluvial banks and islands are 

 clothed with willows. At the place of our 

 encampment we could scarcely find suffi- 

 cient pine branches to floor " the hut," as 

 the Orkney men term the place where tra- 



