Page:Narrative of the Discoveries on the North Coast of America.djvu/77

 abounding in small lakes, and two broad low ranges of hills, at the base of the last of which we encamped. Our course all day was west-north-west by the compass. Walking was laborious in the extreme, the snow being soft, the grass long, and the ground lumpy; so that, though we only advanced twenty-three miles, we were all tired enough in the evening.

29th.—The cloudy weather having prevented me from obtaining observations during the night, I was desirous of taking a meridional altitude of Arcturus in the morning twilight, which placed us in lat. 52° 40' 36" N.; then, starting a little before sunrise, we proceeded across the plain. The morning, for the depth of winter, was exceedingly beautiful; and we had not gone far when we espied, on the top of a little eminence before us, four red-deer, inhaling the fresh breeze. They stood gazing at us for some time; and two of the party were preparing to creep towards them through a bushy dingle, when the beautiful creatures took the alarm, and, darting down the declivity with the speed of light, gained the woods and disappeared. At noon we found ourselves on the lofty banks of the South Branch, or Bow River, which is here a quarter of a mile wide, and well wooded with poplar, aspen, and birch. Descending to the stream, we came upon an