One of the St. Ignace Indians, referring to the meteoric phenomenon of the morning of the 13th of November, said that the stars shot over in the form of a bow, and seemed to drop into the lake.  Such a display, he added, was never before seen.  He says that the Chippewa Indians called the Wolverine “Gween-guh-auga,” which means underground drummer.  This animal is a great digger or burrower.

4th.  Stormy and cold.

5th.  S. Cold.  Mr. Barber preached on the character and trials of Noah.  The old N.E. divines loved to preach from texts in the Old Testament.

6th.  A change of wind from N. to S.W. created a very perceptible increase of temperature.  Indians, who had been detained by floating ice since New Year’s day, got over to Point St. Ignace.

The postmaster sends me word that the second express will start to-morrow, without awaiting the return of the first.

On visiting the monthly concert in the evening, I was reminded that this day had been set apart by various churches for imploring a special blessing on the Word of God, in the conversion of the world.

7th.  Yesterday afternoon the harbor filled with floating ice.  This morning it is frozen over into a solid body, completely closing up the harbor.  But the passage between it and Round Island is open, and the lake in other directions.  Wind northerly and westwardly; thermometer as on the 3d, 4th, and 5th; but the air does not feel to be as cold as those days.  This is the effect of its having remained about a week of nearly the same temperature.  It is, in truth, the range of the thermometer between given points, and not the absolute degree of it, that creates the sensation of intense change.  And herein must be sought the secret of people’s standing a great degree of cold in the north, without being duly sensible of the extreme degree of it.  This remark ought, perhaps, to be limited to such severe degree of cold (say 40 deg. below zero), as a man can withstand or live in.

The ice, being only glued together, separated about 2 o’clock, and left the harbor free again before night.

The express from St. Mary’s came in, about two hours after our Detroit express left.  By letters brought by it, I learn that letters of recall have recently passed the Sault for Capt.  Back.  It is stated that Capt.  Ross has unexpectedly returned to England, after an absence of four years, great part of which time he had passed among the Esquimaux, or in an open boat on the sea.  That he had made observations to fix the magnetic meridian, and had discovered a large island, almost the size of Great Britain, which he named Boothea.

Mr. Ferry, Lieut.  Kingsbury, and Mr. P. passed the evening with us.

Fires were seen on the main land, which are supposed to be signals from our express men.

8th.  Snow—­blustering—­cold.  Our first express to Detroit has so far overstayed its time, that it is impossible to say when it may now be expected.  Fires again seen on the main land, and an unsuccessful attempt made to reach them, the floating ice preventing.