OF THE POLAR SEA. 



137 



rising almost perpendicular to the height of one hundred and eighty 

 feet, and from it an extensive prospect is commanded along this fine 

 river, and over the extensive plains which stretch out several miles at 

 the back of it — and are bounded by hills of considerable height, which 

 seem to be better furnished with wood than the neighbourhood of the 

 fort, where the trees grow very scantily. There had been an esta- 

 blishment belonging to the Hudson's Eay Company on the opposite 

 bank of the river, but it was abandoned in December last, on account 

 of the residents not being able to procure provision from their 

 hunters, having been disabled by the epidemic sickness, which has 

 carried off one-third of the Indians in these parts. They belong to 

 the Northern Crees, a name given them from their residing in 

 the Athabasca department. There are now but few families of these 

 men, who, formerly, by their numbers and predatory habits, spread 

 terror among the natives of this part of the country. 



There are springs of bituminous matter on several of the islands 

 near to these houses ; and the stones on the river-bank are much 

 impregnated with this useful substance. There is also another re- 

 markable place at which salt may be procured, which is deposited on 

 the surface of a round backed hill about half a mile from the beach, 

 and on the marshy ground underneath it, which is carried down 

 from the reservoir by several small streams. We visited these places 

 at a subsequent period of the journey, and descriptions of them will 

 appear in Dr. Bichardson's Mineralogical Notices. 



The latitude of the North-West Company's House is 57° 24' 06" N., 

 but this was the only observation we could obtain, owing to the 

 atmosphere being cloudy during our stay. Mr. Stuart had an ex- 

 cellent thermometer, which indicated the lowest state of tempera- 

 ture to be 43° below zero. He told me 45° is the lowest tem- 

 perature 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, 



T 



