The intense colds were however detrimental to us in another way.

The trees froze to their very centres and became as hard as stones and more difficult to cut.

Some of the axes were broken daily and by the end of the month we had only one left that was fit for felling trees.

By entrusting it only to one of the party who had been bred a carpenter and who could use it with dexterity it was fortunately preserved until the arrival of our men with others from Fort Providence.
A thermometer hung in our bedroom at the distance of sixteen feet from the fire but exposed to its direct radiation stood even in the daytime occasionally at 15 degrees below zero, and was observed more than once previous to the kindling of the fire in the morning to be as low as 40 degrees below zero.

On two of these occasions the chronometers 2149 and 2151 which during the night lay under Mr.Hood's and Dr.Richardson's pillows stopped while they were dressing themselves.
The rapid at the commencement of the river remained open in the severest weather although it was somewhat contracted in width.