west branch few rapids and no lakes exist between the confluence and the woodland district, which is perhaps in the vicinity of Great Slave or Clinton Golden Lake. Lakes occurring on the course of a river act as catch-basins to prevent the further passage of drift-wood. According to information obtained from the Eskimo, some distance up this river there were great numbers of his people engaged in the building of kyacks. We would have been pleased to visit them, but deeming it unwise at this late season to go out of our way, we pulled on with the stream, which was now double its former strength and flowing again to the northward.
Many geese were seen about the low grassy shores and islands, upon one of which latter camp was pitched on the evening of the 25th, and a great blazing, roaring fire of drift-wood kindled.
It was hoped that henceforward for some time this supply of fuel might continue, for of late we had been entirely without fire for warming purposes. The miserable smudges made of moss or ground birch mixed with deer tallow or sprinkled with alcohol were useful for the purpose of cooking our venison, but for nothing else.
From camp on the morning of the 26th, for a distance of four or five miles, the river still flowed toward the Arctic, but in latitude 64° 41['] north it swerved around to the east, and then the south-east, and bore us down to the western extremity of a magnificent body of water, which has been named Aberdeen Lake, in honor of their Excellencies Lord and Lady Aberdeen. It was a lovely calm evening when the track of our canoes first rippled the waters of this lake, and as we landed at a bluff point on the north shore and from it gazed to the
