Wintering on the Peace EN Se

exposed to the weather at this rigorous season of the year,
but these people are inured to it, and it is necessary to
describe in some measure the hardships which they undergo
without a murmur, in order to convey a general notion
of them.”

He goes on to say that these servants of the company
left this place in May and went to Rainy Lake in canoes
laden with packs of fur, which, from the immense length
of the journey and other concurring circumstances, was a
most severe trial of patience and perseverance, but the
length of their stay at Rainy Lake was not sufficient time
for ordinary rest, since they took a load of goods brought
from Montreal over Grande Portage, in exchange, and
proceeded on their return, travelling from twelve to sixteen
hours a day. ‘They had been there two months since their
return from Rainy Lake and during that time had been
continuously engaged in the very toilsome labour of getting
out timbers and digging ditches for the palisades. ‘‘Such is
the life which these people lead, and it is continued with un-
remitting exertion till their strength is lost in premature
old age.”

The winter was characterised by the advent of one of
those winds peculiar to the north. On the twenty-ninth,
after a calm, cloudy day, a rumbling was heard in the air,
and a perfect hurricane came up from the south-west which
lasted for some hours. The atmosphere became warm and
the snow disappeared rapidly, the ice on the river was
covered with water, and had the same appearance as when
it is breaking up in the spring. An hour’s calm was then
followed by violent winds, clouds, rain and hail, which
continued all night and next day, when it turned to
snow.

New Year’s Day his people celebrated in the customary