INTRODUCTION AND RESULTS. 
241 
the Company’s canoes at La Chine, commencing 1 his observations on the 24th of May, 
in the ascent of the Ottawa river. The weather being favourable observations were 
made daily, with not more than one or two exceptions, until the Brigade arrived at 
Fort William on the 29th of May. It was there proposed by Sir George Simpson, 
who had preceded the Brigade, that Lieut. Lefroy should be provided with a canoe 
to himself, and should follow the Brigade at his convenience, but be entirely inde- 
pendent of it. This arrangement was consequently adopted, and Lieut. Lefroy left 
Fort William furnished with a guide and a canoe at his exclusive disposal, to carry 
out the original design of proceeding to York Factory. At the Rat Portage, how 
ever, on the Lake of the Woods, on the 20th of June, an accident happened to 
Gambey’s inclinometer, which was thrown down, the glass cover broken, and one of 
the Lloyd’s needles injured ; Lieut. Lefroy was induced by this accident to deviate 
from the direct course to York Factory, and to proceed to the Red River settle- 
ment, where the damage was repaired. Here he met Sir George Simpson, and being 
of opinion that he should best promote the objects of the Survey by passing a winter 
in the interior, instead of carrying out the plan at first proposed of returning to 
Canada from York Factory, he arranged with that gentleman that, after returning to 
Norway House from Hudson’s Bay, he should proceed direct to Fort Chipewyan on 
Lake Athabasca, winter there, descend M‘Kenzie’s River in the spring to the Arctic 
Circle, visit the Company’s posts on the Saskatchewan and Peace Rivers, and return to 
Toronto at the conclusion of the summer of 1844. By this arrangement a consider- 
able extension was given to the survey, and an opportunity was afforded of making 
the observations of a fixed magnetic observatory during several months of winter at 
Athabasca, where the magnetic variations, both regular and irregular, are of great 
magnitude, and have particular interest : on the other hand, some expense was in- 
curred which had not been originally contemplated or provided for. The plan thus 
formed was executed ; and the present number of the Contributions contains the ob- 
servations during this survey of two of the magnetic elements, viz. of the Inclination 
and of the Force ; the Declination is reserved for a future occasion, because a con- 
siderable augmentation of materials is expected. The winter observations with the 
magnetometers will have an appropriate place in the publication which contains the 
observations at the Colonial Magnetic Observatories. 
I am much gratified in being able to add to the interest and value of this number 
of the Contributions, by including observations not previously published, communi- 
cated to me by several gentlemen of the United States. In acknowledging the 
liberality and disinterested view for the advancement of science, with which the 
results of laborious and extensive researches have thus been unreservedly placed at 
my disposal, in anticipation of the publications in which they will respectively appear, 
I have great pleasure in calling attention to this example of the cordiality and good 
feeling, which happily subsist amongst the individuals of different nations, who have 
a common bond of union in the cultivation of magnetical science. 
I am indebted to Major James D. Graham of the Corps of Topographical Engineers 
