﻿308 PREPARE FOR THE MARCH. Sept. 



CHAP. X. 



PREPARING FOR THE MARCH. — SLEEP IN BACK'S INLET. — 

 ESKIMO VILLAGE. — ESKIMOS FERRY THE PARTY ACROSS RAE 



RIVER. — BASALTIC CLIFFS. — CROSS RICHARDSON's RIVER. 



MARCH ALONG THE BANKS OF THE COPPERMINE. — GEESE. 



FIRST CLUMP OF TREES. — MUSK-OXEN. COPPER ORES AND 



NATIVE COPPER. KENDALL RIVER. MAKE A RAFT. FOG. 



PASS A NIGHT ON A NAKED ROCK WITHOUT FUEL 



FINE CLUMP OF SPRUCE FIRS. — DISMAL LAKES INDIANS. — 



DEASE RIVER. FORT CONFIDENCE. — SEND OFF DESPATCHES 



AND LETTERS. 



On the 1st and 2nd of September we had northerly 

 and north-east winds, with a low temperature, sleet, 

 snow, and occasional fogs. We were all employed 

 in preparing the packages for the march, consisting 

 of thirteen days' provision of pemican, cooking 

 utensils, bedding, snow shoes, astronomical instru- 

 ments, books, ammunition, fowling-pieces, portable 

 boat, nets, lines, and a parcel of dried plants. 

 These were distributed by lot, each load being 

 calculated to weigh about sixty or seventy pounds. 

 Mr. Rae voluntarily resolved to transport a package 

 nearly equal to the men's in weight ; but, distrust- 

 ing my own powers of march, I made no attempt 

 at carrying such a load as I had done on a former 

 voyage, and restricted myself to a fowling-piece, 



