to the Chipewyan tribe.  We smoked the calumet in the chief’s tent, whose name was the Thumb, and distributed some tobacco and a weak mixture of spirits and water among the men.  They received this civility with much less grace than the Crees, and seemed to consider it a matter of course.  There was an utter neglect of cleanliness and a total want of comfort in their tents; and the poor creatures were miserably clothed.  Mr. Frazer, who accompanied us from the Methye Lake, accounted for their being in this forlorn condition by explaining that this band of Indians had recently destroyed everything they possessed as a token of their great grief for the loss of their relatives in the prevailing sickness.  It appears that no article is spared by these unhappy men when a near relative dies; their clothes and tents are cut to pieces, their guns broken, and every other weapon rendered useless if some person do not remove these articles from their sight, which is seldom done.  Mr. Back sketched one of the children which delighted the father very much, who charged the boy to be very good since his picture had been drawn by a great chief.  We learned that they prize pictures very highly and esteem any they can get, however badly executed, as efficient charms.  They were unable to give us any information respecting the country beyond the Athabasca Lake which is the boundary of their peregrinations to the northward.  Having been apprised of our coming they had prepared an encampment for us; but we had witnessed too many proofs of their importunity to expect that we could pass the night near them in any comfort whilst either spirits, tobacco or sugar remained in our possession; and therefore preferred to go about two miles farther along the river and to encamp among a cluster of fine pine-trees after a journey of sixteen miles.

On the morning of the 15th, in proceeding along the river, we perceived a strong smell of sulphur, and on the north shore found a quantity of it scattered, which seemed to have been deposited by some spring in the neighbourhood:  it appeared very pure and good.  We continued our course the whole day along the river, which is about four hundred yards wide, has some islands, and is confined between low land extending from the bases of the mountains on each side.  We put up at the end of thirteen miles and were then joined by a Chipewyan who came, as we supposed, to serve as our guide to Pierre au Calumet but, as none of the party could communicate with our new friend otherwise than by signs, we waited patiently until the morning to see what he intended to do.  The wind blew a gale during the night and the snow fell heavily.  The next day our guide led us to the Pembina River which comes from the southward where we found traces of Indians who appeared to have quitted this station the day before; we had therefore the benefit of a good track which our dogs much required as they were greatly fatigued, having dragged their loads through very deep snow for the last two days.  A moose-deer crossed the river just before the party:  this animal is plentiful in the vicinity.  We encamped in a pleasant well-sheltered place, having travelled fourteen miles.