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Thursday 4^th December 1800[.] Still Cloudy, and Mild, it every day threatens to Snow but imediately the clouds disperse & remains clear for an hour & gets overcast again. Two men arriv'd from Jacque Finlay's with a letter for me & an Inventory of what Goods remained there in the Fall & what he has still remaining[.] [T]he plan he & I concerted last fall was partely frustrated in the execution by the death of the Principall Indian there viz^t the Medale who was Suffocated by the quantity of Rum he drank, & which prevented the Indians from going to winter to where they at first intended, & from making any thing of a Fall hunt[.] Jacque asks for no less a Matter than 3 Kegs H.W. & Several other articles[.]

Friday 5^th[.] A Fine Mild, but Cloudy day, Cleared up late[.]

Saturday 6^th[.] Again cloudy and Mild, fell a very few grains of Snow[.] I Sent off, Frisé & Vallé to the River Qui appelle, by them I wrote Mess^rs M^cDonell, Chaboillez, M^cKay, Monro, Falcon, and Malhiote[.] I sent principally for the Small Knives & fire steels M^r M^cDonell promised me last fall, & to know how the XY. Miscreants are Settled[.] Old La Voye went off this morning (for the 40 Beaver Skins he left behind him) with a horse I lend him[.]

Sunday 7^th[.] The weather seems bent, on continuing both Mild and Cloudy, always clearing up once in the 24 hours, tho' but for a Short time, every day it has all the appearance of Snowing, but it dissappoints us continually[.] I really begin to fear we shall starve this winter, at any rate we'll be obliged to make use of the little dry provisions the Indians may bring to the Fort, & G_d alone knows whether we'll be able to scrape together what will make a little Pimican to bring us all to the Point au Foutre[.]

Monday 8^th[.] This indeed looks something like a winters day it blows, Snows, & is with all very Cold[.] L'Enfant Prodigue came to the Fort with 2 wolves & a Mooss Skin the first he traded Tobacco for, & Rum for the later.

Teusday 9^th[.] A Cold, serene day[.] L'Enfant Prodigue went off in the morning. M^r John Sutherland (alias Sugar Royall) came here to pay me a visit accompanied by two of his men, & I made him very drunk, of all the Stupid Puppies I ever sett eyes on he is the most nonsencicall & dull[.]

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