﻿1848. MACKENZIE RIVER BRIGADE. 129 



rain, wliich compelled us to put ashore for four or 

 five hours. We were able to resume our route at 

 10 A.M., and at noon we came to high sandy banks 

 named Les Ecores, resembling the sandy deposits 

 on the Clear-water River. These continue down 

 to the alluvial delta formed by the four or five 

 branches into which the river splits before enter- 

 ing the Athabasca Lake, or Lake of the Hills. 



At 5 P.M. we arrived at the head of this delta, 

 and, passing down the main channel, held on our 

 way till 8 o'clock, when we landed to cook supper, 

 and then re-embarked to drift with the current 

 during the night, the crews, with the exception 

 of the steersmen, going to sleep in the boats. 



July lUh — We entered Athabasca Lake at three 

 in the morning, but found, to our mortification, 

 that two of the boats, through the inattention of 

 the steersmen, had taken a more easterly branch 

 of the river in the night, which would delay their 

 arrival at Fort Chepewyan for some hours, and 

 consequently be the means of detaining us for that 

 time. 



Immediately on emerging from the river we saw 

 the Mackenzie River brigade of boats crossing the 

 lake towards the entrance of the Embarras River, 

 lying four or five miles to the westward of the 

 branch Ave had descended. On our firing guns 

 and hoisting the sails and ensigns, we were per- 



VOL. I. K 



