458 
PERIODICAL WATERCOURSES. 
US that expected all hands to dine with hitn that 
day,” there was not a face tliat did not sparkle, or a 
tongue that tried to excuse its owner. Probably the fact 
of said tongues having tasted nothing but salt provisions 
or insipid preserved moats (the fish and turnips of Taousk 
Bay excepted) for several months, combined with our 
host’s promise that his table should groan under the 
delicacies of the Ayan season, — probably, I say, this com- 
bination may have had something to do with our spark- 
ling faces and consenting voices. But let facts speak for 
themselves. 
As the appointed hour for dinner approached, we called 
away two boats, and, leaving the old John” in charge of 
the best bower, a good scope of chain, the officer of the 
deck, and engineer of the day, the remainder of us packed 
ourselves into them and started for the quiet landing on 
the slaty beach that bounds the smooth waters of the 
inner harbour. We were received this time by the 
yelping of hundreds of sleigh-dogs, who, being abso- 
lutely necessary during the winters for travelling-pur- 
poses, are well taken care of when the eummers arrive, 
in anticipation of future need of their services. We 
looked in the direction whence these howls and yelps 
proceeded^ and saw a large log-house, around which hun- 
dreds of these dogs were lazily basking in the sun, and 
thought it would be a good idea to pay them a visit on 
our way up. Wc therefore crossed tlie dry and rocky 
bed of a periodical watercourse, and approached their 
commodious kennel. These watercourses are worth a 
passing notice. 
The immense quantity of snow and ice which covers 
I 
