and nearly the remainder of the day was passed in hunting them. In the evening we stopped within sight of Prospect Hill, after having killed and concealed six deer.
“A considerable quantity of snow fell during the night. The surrounding country was extremely rugged; the hills divided hy deep ravines, and the valleys covered with broken masses of rocks and stones: yet the deer fly (as it were) over these impediments with apparent ease, seldom making a false step, and springing from crag to crag with all the safety of the mountain goat. After passing Reindeer Lake (where the ice was so thin as to bend at every step for nine miles), we halted, perfectly satisfied with our escape from sinking into the water. While some of the party were forming the encampment, one of the hunters killed a deer, a part of which was concealed; to be ready for use on our return. This evening we halted in a wood near the canoe track, after having travelled a distance of nine miles – the wind was S.E., and the night cloudy, with wind and rain. On the 24th and 25th, we underwent some fatigue, from being obliged to go round the lakes which lay across our route, and were not sufficiently frozen to bear us. Several rivulets appeared to empty themselves into the lakes. No animals were killed, and few tracks seen. The scenery consisted of barren rocks and high hills, covered with lofty pine, birch, and larch trees.
“October 26. – We continued our journey, sometimes on frozen lakes, and at other times on high craggy rocks. When we were on the lakes we were much impeded in our journey by different parts which were not frozen. There was a visible increase of wood, consisting of birch and larch, as we inclined to the southward. About ten a.m. we passed Icy Portage, where we saw various tracts of the moose, bear, and otter; and after a most harassing march through thick woods and over fallen trees, we halted a mile to the westward of Fishing Lake. Our provisions were now almost expended. The weather was cloudy, with snow.
“On the 27th, we crossed two lakes, and performed a circuitous route, frequently crossing high hills to avoid those lakes which were not frozen. During the day one of the women made a hole through the ice, and caught a fine pike, which she gave to us: the Indians would not partake of it, from the idea (as we afterwards learnt), that we should not have sufficient for ourselves:– ‘We are accustomed to such privations,’ said they, ‘but you are not.’ In the evening we halted near Rocky Lake. I accompanied one of the Indians to the summit of a hill, where he shewed me a dark horizontal cloud, extending to a considerable distance along the mountains in the perspective, which he said was occasioned by the Great Slave Lake, and was considered as a good guide to all the hunters in the vicinity. On our return we saw two untenanted bears’ dens. The night was cloudy, with heavy snow; yet the following morning we continued our tedious march. Many of the lakes remained still open; the rocks high and covered with snow, which continued to
