64 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



indeed was now warm. Having received 

 one of Dollond's eighteen-inch spirit ther- 

 mometers from Mr. Stuart, which he had 

 the kindness to send us from his post at 

 Pierre au Calumet, after he had learned 

 that ours had been rendered useless, I ob- 

 served the temperature, at noon, on the 

 25th of June, to be 63°. 



On the following morning we made an 

 excursion, accompanied by Mr. Smith, 

 round the fishing stations on the south side 

 of the lake, for the purpose of visiting our 

 men; we passed several groups of women 

 and children belonging to both the forts, 

 posted wherever they could find a suffi- 

 ciently dry spot for an encampment. At 

 length we came to our men, pitched upon 

 a narrow strip of land, situated between 

 two rivers. Though the portion of dry 

 ground did not exceed fifty yards, yet they 

 appeared to be living very comfortably, 

 having formed huts with the canoe's sail 

 and covering, and were amply supported by 

 the fish their nets daily furnished. They 

 sometimes had a change in their fare, by 



