184 
PREPARATION. 
decks, the scrapers sounding overhead, and the hickory 
brooms crackling against the frozen woodwork. After¬ 
noon comes, and McGary brings from the traps two 
foxes, a blue and a white. Afternoon passes, and we 
skin them. Evening passes, and we eat them. Never 
were foxes more welcome visitors, or treated more like 
domestic animals. 
“ March 23, Thursday.—The accumulated ice upon 
our housing shows what the condensed and frozen 
moisture of the winter has been. The average thick¬ 
ness of this curious deposit is five inches, very hard 
and well crystallized. Six cart-loads have been already 
chopped out, and about four more remain. 
“ It is very far from a hardship to sleep under such 
an ice-roof as this. In a climate where the intense 
cold approximates all ice to granite, its thick air-tight 
coating contributes to our warmth, gives a beautiful 
and cheerful lustre to our walls, and condenses any 
vapors which our cooks allow to escape the funnels. I 
only remove it now because I fear the effects of damp 
in the season of sunshine. 
“ March 27, Monday.—We have been for some days 
in all the flurry of preparation for our exploration 
trip: buffalo-hides, leather, and tailoring-utensils every¬ 
where. Every particle of fur comes in play for mits 
and muffs and wrappers. Poor Flora is turned into a 
pair of socks, and looks almost as pretty as when she 
was heading the team. 
“ The wind to-day made it intensely cold. In riding 
but four miles to inspect a fox-trap, the movement 
