offered me their documents, and every assistance in drawing up
another narrative, of which kindness I availed myself at the earliest
opportunity afterwards.
September 15.—The rest of the party were brought across this
morning, and we were delighted to find Belanger so much recovered
as to be able to proceed, but we could not set out until noon, as the
men had to prepare substitutes for the slings which were lost yesterday.
Soon after leaving the encampment we discerned a herd of
deer, and after a long chase a fine male was killed by Perrault,
several others were wounded but they escaped. After this we
passed round the north end of a branch of the lake, and ascended
the Willingham Mountains, keeping near the border of the lake.
These hills were steep, craggy, and covered with snow. We encamped
at seven and enjoyed a substantial meal. The party were
in good spirits this evening at the recollection of having crossed the
rapid, and being in possession of provision for the next day. Besides
wre had taken the precaution of bringing away the skin of the deer
to eat when the meat should fail. The temperature at six P.M.
was 30°. ®
We.started at seven next morning and marched until ten, when
the appearance of a few willows peeping through the snow induced
us to halt and breakfast. Becommencing the journey at noon, we
passed over a more rugged country, where the hills were separated
by deep ravines, whose steep sides were equally difficult to descend
and to ascend, and the toil and suffering we experienced were
greatly increased. The annexed accurate delineation of the country
we then travelled over, and of the mode of getting our only food,
will convey to the reader a better idea of the toil and suffering we
experienced than any description of mine can do.
The party was quite fatigued, when we encamped, having come
ten miles and three quarters. We observed many summer deer
roads, and some recent tracks. Some marks that had been put up