After enjoying a more comfortable night’s rest than we had expected we set off at daybreak, the thermometer then standing at 18 degrees.  The ground was covered with snow, the small lakes were frozen, and the whole scene had a wintry appearance.  We got on but slowly at first owing to an old sprained ankle which had been very troublesome to me for the last three days and was this morning excessively painful.  In fording a rivulet however the application of cold water gave me immediate relief and I walked with ease the remainder of the day.  In the afternoon we rejoined our track outwards and came to the place where Keskarrah had made his deposit of provision, which proved a very acceptable supply as our stock was exhausted.  We then crossed some sandhills and encamped amidst a few small pines, having walked thirteen miles.

The comfort of a good fire made us soon insensible to the fatigue we had experienced through the day in marching over the rugged stones whose surface was rendered slippery by the frost.  The thermometer at seven P.M. stood at 27 degrees.

RETURN TO THE WINTER QUARTERS OF FORT ENTERPRISE.

We set off at sunrise next morning and our provision being expended pushed on as fast as we could to Fort Enterprise where we arrived at eight P.M., almost exhausted by a harassing day’s march of twenty-two miles.  A substantial supper of reindeer steaks soon restored our vigour.  We had the happiness of meeting our friends Mr. Back and Mr. Hood who had returned from their excursion on the day succeeding that on which we set out; and I received from them the following account of their journey.

They proceeded up the Winter River to the north end of the Little Marten Lake and then the guide, being unacquainted with the route by water to the Copper-Mine River, proposed that the canoe should be left.  Upon this they ascended the loftiest hill in the neighbourhood to examine whether they could discover any large lakes or water communication in the direction where the guide described the river to be.  They only saw a small rivulet which was too shallow for the canoe and also wide of the course and, as they perceived the crew would have to carry it over a rugged hilly track, they judiciously decided on leaving it and proceeding forward on foot.  Having deposited the canoe among a few dwarf birch bushes they commenced their march, carrying their tents, blankets, cooking utensils, and a part of the dried meat.  St. Germain however had previously delineated with charcoal a man and a house on a piece of bark which he placed over the canoe and the few things that were left to point out to the Dog-Ribs that they belonged to white people.