It may be worthy of notice here that the fish froze as they were taken out of the nets, in a short time became a solid mass of ice and, by a blow or two of the hatchet, were easily split open, when the intestines might be removed in one lump.

If in this completely frozen state they were thawed before the fire they recovered their animation.

This was particularly the case with the carp and we had occasion to observe it repeatedly as Dr.
Richardson occupied himself with examining the structure of the different species of fish and was always in the winter under the necessity of thawing them before he could cut them.

We have seen a carp recover so far as to leap about with much vigour after it had been frozen for thirty-six hours.
From the 12th to the 16th we had fine and, for the season, warm weather; and the deer, which had not been seen since the 26th of October, reappeared in the neighbourhood of the house, to the surprise of the Indians who attributed their return to the barren grounds to the unusual mildness of the season.

On this occasion, by melting some of our pewter cups, we managed to furnish five balls to each of the hunters, but they were all expended unsuccessfully, except by Akaitcho who killed two deer.
By the middle of the month Winter River was firmly frozen over except the small rapid at its commencement which remained open all the winter.