The consideration of next importance to furnishing the party with food, was to provide regular occupation for the men, who had not the resources to employ their time which the officers possessed. Accordingly, some were appointed to attend exclusively to the fishing nets, others to bring home the meat whenever the hunters killed any deer; some were stationed to fell wood for fuel, others to convey it to the house, and a third set to split it for use. Two of the most expert travellers on snow-shoes were kept in nearly constant employment conveying letters to and from the posts in the Mackenzie and Slave Lake. As the days shortened, it was necessary to find employment during the long evenings, for those resident at the house, and a school was, therefore, established on three nights of the week, from seven o'clock to nine, for their instruction, in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and it was attended by most of the British party. They were divided in equal portions amongst the officers, whose labour was amply repaid by the advancement their pupils made: some of those who began with the alphabet, learned to read and write with tolerable correctness. Sunday was a day of rest; and, with the exception of two or three of the Canadians, the whole party uniformly attended Divine service, morning and evening. If, on the other evenings for which no particular occupation was appointed, the men felt the time tedious, or if they expressed a wish to vary their employments, the hall was at their service, to play any game they might choose; and on these occasions they were invariably joined by the officers. By thus participating in their amusements, the men became more attached to us, at the same time that we contributed to their health and cheerfulness. The hearts and feelings of the whole party were united into one common desire to make the time pass as agreeably as possible to each other, until the return of spring should enable them to resume the great object of the Expedition.
The officers found employment in making and registering the thermometrical, magnetical, and atmospherical observations, which were hourly noted from eight A.M. to midnight; and, in addition to the duties which they had in common, each had a peculiar department allotted to him.