The Weight Usually
Placed Upon A Sledge Drawn By Three Dogs Cannot At The Commencement Of A
Journey Be Estimated At Less Than Three Hundred Pounds, Which However
Suffers A Daily Diminution From The Consumption Of Provisions.
The sledge
itself weighs about thirty pounds.
When the snow is hard frozen or the
track well trodden the rate of travelling is about two miles and a half
an hour, including rests, or about fifteen miles a day. If the snow be
loose the speed is necessarily much less and the fatigue greater.
At eight in the morning of the 18th we quitted the fort and took leave of
our hospitable friend Governor Williams whose kindness and attention I
shall ever remember with gratitude. Dr. Richardson, Mr. Hood, and Mr.
Connolly accompanied us along the Saskatchewan until the snow became too
deep for their walking without snowshoes. We then parted from our
associates with sincere regret at the prospect of a long separation.
Being accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie of the Hudson's Bay Company who was
going to Isle a la Crosse with four sledges under his charge we formed
quite a procession, keeping in an Indian file on the track of the man who
preceded the foremost dogs; but as the snow was deep we proceeded slowly
on the surface of the river, which is about three hundred and fifty yards
wide, for the distance of six miles which we went this day. Its alluvial
banks and islands are clothed with willows.
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