We left Kamloops on the 20th, and after travelling about twenty miles found the ground covered with snow, which increased in depth as we advanced.  The track left by Mr. B——­’s party was of great service to us.

We encamped at the extremity of Okanagan Lake, where we found a small camp of natives nearly starved to death; the unfortunate creatures passed the night in our encampment, and we distributed as much of our provisions amongst them as we could possibly spare.  This encampment afforded me as miserable a night’s lodging as I had ever met with; a snow-storm raged without intermission till daylight, when we set out so completely benumbed that we could not mount our horses till we had put the blood in circulation by walking.

We overtook Mr. B——­ on the 25th, his horses completely jaded and worn out by the fatigues of the journey; the great depth of the snow indeed would have utterly precluded travelling had he not adopted the precaution of driving a number of young horses before the loaded horses to make a track.

The country through which we have travelled for the last few days is exceedingly rugged, and possesses few features to interest the traveller.

We arrived at the post of Okanagan on the 28th, situated on the left bank of the Columbia River.  The ground was still covered with snow to the depth of two feet, and had been five feet deep in the course of the winter—­an extraordinary circumstance, as there generally falls so little snow in this quarter, that the cattle graze in the plain nearly all winter.  The Indians are designated Okanagans, and speak a dialect of the Atnah.  Their lands are very poor, yielding only cats, foxes, &c.; they subsist on salmon and roots.

Messrs. F——­ and D——­ arrived from Fort Vancouver on the 7th of April, and we embarked on the 8th in three boats manned by retiring servants.  Mr. B——­ accompanied us, having obtained permission to cross the Rocky Mountains.

We arrived at Colville on the 12th, where we met with a most friendly reception from a warmhearted Gael, (Mr. McD.) The gentlemen proceeding to the depot in charge of the accounts of the Columbia department generally remain here a few days to put a finishing hand to these accounts—­an operation which occupied us till the 22d, when we re-embarked, leaving Messrs. D——­ and B——­ behind; the former being remanded to Fort Vancouver; and the latter, having changed his mind, in an evil hour for himself, returned to his old quarters; where he was murdered sometime afterwards by an Indian who had lost his father, and thought that the company of his old trader would solace him for the absence of his children.

CHAPTER II.

ARRIVAL AT YORK FACTORY—­ITS SITUATION—­CLIMATE—­NATIVES—­REIN-DEER—­VOYAGE TO UNGAVA—­INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE—­ARRIVAL AT UNGAVA—­SITUATION AND ASPECT.