that they invariably try how far they can impose upon every new
master, and that they will continue to be disobedient and intractable
if they once 'gain any ascendancy over him. X must admit, however,
that the present hardships of our companions were of a kind
which few could support without murmuring, and no one could
witness without a sincere pity for their sufferings.
After this discussion we went forward until sunset. In the course
of the day we crossed seven lakes and as many, portages. Just as we
had encamped, we were delighted to see four of the hunters arrive
with the flesh of two rein-deer. This seasonable supply, though
only sufficient for this evening’s and the next day’s consumption,
instantly revived the spirits of our companions, and they immediately
forgot all their cares. As we did not, after this period, experience
any deficiency of food during this journey, they worked extremely
w7ell, and never again reflected upon us as they had done
before, for rashly bringing them into an inhospitable country, where
the means of subsistence could not be procured.
Several blue fish, resembling the grayling, were caught in a stream,
which flows out of Hunter’s Lake. It is remarkable for the largeness
of the dorsal fin and the beauty of its colours.
. August 14.-—Having crossed the Hunter’s Portage, we entered
the Lake of the same name, in latitude 64° 6 47 N., longitude 113
25' 00" W; but soon quitted it by desire of the Indian guide, and
diverged more to the eastward, that we might get into the fine upon
which our hunters had gone. This was the only consideration that
could have induced us to remove to a chain of small lakes connected
by long portages. We crossed three of these, and then were obliged
to encamp to rest the men. The country is bare of wood except a
few dwarf birch bushes, which grow near the borders of the lakes,
and here and there a few stunted pines; and our fuel principally
consisted of the roots of decayed pines, which we had some difficulty
to collect in sufficient quantity for cooking. When this material is
wanting, the rein-deer lichen and other mosses that grow in profusion
on the gravelly acclivities of the hills are used as substitutes.
Three more of the hunters arrived with meat this evening, which
supply came very opportunely, as our nets were unproductive. At
eight P.M., a faint Aurora Borealis appeared to the southward, the
night was cold, the wind strong from N.W.
We were detained some time in the following morning before the
fishing-nets, which had sunk in the night, could be recovered.
After starting we first crossed the Orkney Lake, then a portage
which brought us to Sandy Lake, and here we missed one of our
barrels of powder, which the steersman of the canoe then recollected
had been left the day before. He and two other men were sent
back to search for it, in the small canoe. The rest of the party
proceeded to the portage on the north side of the Grizzle-Bear Lake
where the hunters had made a deposit of meat, and there encamped
to await their return, which happened at nine P.M., with the powder.
We perceived from the direction of this lake, that considerable,
labour would have been spared if we had continued our course
yesterday instead of striking off at the guide’s suggestion, as the
bottom of this lake cannot be far separated from either Hunter’s
Lake or the one to the westward of it. The chief and all the
Indians went off to -hunt, accompaned by Pierre St. Germain, the
interpreter. They returned at night, bringing some meat, and reported
that they had put the carcasses of several rein-deer en cache.
These were sent for early next morning, and as the weather was
unusually warm, the thermometer, at noon being 77°, we remained
stationary all day, that the women might prepare the meat for
keeping, by stripping the flesh, from the bones and drying it in the
sun over a slow fire. The hunters were again successful, and by the
evening we had collected the carcasses of seventeen deer. As this
was a sufficient store to serve us until we arrived at Winter Lake,
the chief proposed that he and his hunters should procae eFd ato that