232 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



the present occasion, they felt little inclined 

 to do so, and gave scope to their natural 

 love of ease, as long as our store-house 

 seemed to be well stocked. Nevertheless, 

 as they were conscious of impairing our fu- 

 ture resources, they did not fail, occasion- 

 ally, to remind us that it was not their fault, 

 to express an ardent desire to go hunting, 

 and to request a supply of ammunition, al- 

 though they knew that it was not in our 

 power to give it. 



The summer birds by this time had en- 

 tirely deserted us, leaving, for our winter 

 companions, the raven, cinereous crow, 

 ptarmigan, and snow-bird. The last of the 

 water-fowl that quitted us was a species of 

 diver, of the same size with the colymbus 

 arcticus, but differing from it in the arrange- 

 ment of the white spots on its plumage, and 

 in having a yellowish white bill. This bird 

 was occasionally caught in our fishing nets. 



The thermometer during the month of 

 October, at Fort Enterprise, never rose 

 above 37°, or fell below 5°; the mean tem- 

 perature for the month was 23°, 



