The weather all this time, although the month was July, was very bad--constant snow, sleet, and rain.

Hearne seldom had a dry garment of any kind, and in the caves where they lodged at night the water was constantly dropping from the roof.

Their food all this time was raw venison.

One snowstorm which fell on them was heavier than was customary even in the winter, but at last the weather cleared up and sunshine made the journey far more tolerable.
As they descended the northern side of the Stony Mountains they crossed a large lake, passing over its unmelted ice, and called it Musk-ox Lake, from the number of these creatures which they found grazing on the margin of it.
This was not the first time that Hearne had seen the musk ox.

These animals were wont to come down as far south as the shores of Hudson Bay.
On the northern side of the Stony Mountains Hearne was taken by the Indians to see a place which he called Grizzly-bear Hill, which took its name from the numbers of those animals (presumably what we call grizzly bears) which resorted here for the purpose of bringing forth their young in a cave in this hill.