the neighbourhood, to examine whether they could discover any
large lakes, or water communication in the direction where the guide
described the river to be. They only saw a small rivulet, which was
too shallow for the canoe, and also wide of the course; and as they
perceived the crew would have to carry it over a rugged hilly track,
they judiciously decided on leaving it, and proceeding forward on
foot. Having deposited the canoe among a few dwarf birch bushes,
they commenced their march, carrying their tents, blankets, cooking
utensils, and a part of the dried meat. St. Germain, however, had
previously delineated with charcoal, a man and a house on a piece of
bark, which he placed over the canoe and a few things that were left,
to point out to the Dog-Kibs that they belonged to white people.
The party reached the shores of Point Lake, through which the
Copper-Mine Kiver runs, on the 1st of September. The next day
was too stormy for them to march, but on the 3d, they proceeded
along its shores to the westward, round a mountainous promontory,
and perceiving the course of the lake extending to the W.N.W., they
encamped near some pines, and then enjoyed the luxury of a good
fire, for the first time since their departure from us. The temperature
of the water in the lake was 35°, and of the air 32°, but the
latter fell to 20° in the course of that night. As their principal
object was to ascertain whether any arm of the lake branched nearer
to Fort Enterprise than the part they had fallen upon, to which the
transport of our goods could be more easily made next spring, they
returned on its borders to the eastward, being satisfied, by the appearance
of the mountains between south and west, that no further
examination was necessary in that direction; and they continued
their march until the 6th at noon, without finding any part of the
lake inclining nearer the fort. They therefore encamped to observe
the eclipse, which was to take place on the following morning; but
a violent snow-storm rendering the observation impossible, they
commenced their return, and after a comfortless and laborious march,