They Belong To The Northern Crees, A Name
Given Them From Their Residing In The Athabasca Department.
There are now
but few families of these men who formerly by their numbers and predatory
habits spread terror among the natives of this part of the country.
There are springs of bituminous matter on several of the islands near
these houses; and the stones on the riverbank are much impregnated with
this useful substance. There is also another place remarkable for the
production of a sulphureous salt which is deposited on the surface of a
round-backed hill about half a mile from the beach and on the marshy
ground underneath it. We visited these places at a subsequent period of
the journey and descriptions of them will appear in Dr. Richardson's
Mineralogical Notices.
The latitude of the North-West Company's House is 57 degrees 24 minutes
06 seconds North, but this was the only observation we could obtain, the
atmosphere being cloudy. Mr. Stuart had an excellent thermometer which
indicated the lowest state of temperature to be 43 degrees below zero. He
told me 45 degrees was the lowest temperature he had ever witnessed at
the Athabasca or Great Slave Lake after many years' residence. On the
21st it rose above zero and at noon attained the height of 43 degrees;
the atmosphere was sultry, snow fell constantly, and there was quite an
appearance of a change in the season. On the 22nd we parted from our
hospitable friend and recommenced our journey, but under the expectation
of seeing him again in May, at which time the partners of the Company
usually assemble at Fort Chipewyan where we hoped the necessary
arrangements for our future proceedings would be completed.
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