16 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



impregnated with this useful substance. 

 There is also another place remarkable for 

 the production of a sulphureous salt, which 

 is deposited on the surface of a round- 

 backed hill about half a mile from the 

 beach, and on the marshy ground under- 

 neath it. We visited these places at a sub- 

 sequent period of the journey, and de- 

 scriptions of them will appear in Dr. Ri- 

 chardson's Mineralogical Notices. 



The latitude of the North-West Com- 

 pany's House is 57° 24' 06" N., but this 

 was the only observation we could obtain, the 

 atmosphere being cloudy. Mr. Stuart had 

 an excellent thermometer, which indicated 

 the lowest state of temperature to be 43° 

 below zero. He told me 45° was the 

 lowest temperature he had ever witnessed 

 at the Athabasca or Great Slave Lake, after 

 many years' residence. On the 21st it rose 

 above zero, and at noon attained the height 

 of 43° ; the atmosphere was sultry, snow 

 fell constantly, and there was quite an ap- 

 pearance of a change in the season. On 

 the 22d we parted from our hospitable 



