﻿328 MAKE A RAFT. Sept. 



the river as far as Bloody Fall. This arrangement, 

 which was made in anticipation of our bringing 

 the boats up the river, was my chief reason for 

 making the circuit of the Coppermine ; for our 

 most direct course, after leaving Back's Inlet, 

 would have been by tracing up Richardson River, 

 and crossing the mountains more nearly in the 

 parallel of Fort Confidence. As we had discovered 

 no foot- marks of the party on our march, we con- 

 cluded that they had not arrived; and Mr. Rae 

 confirmed this opinion by his report of the absence 

 of any signal mark at the mouth of the Kendall. 

 From specimens of the rocks obtained by this gentle- 

 man, I ascertained that the walls of the gorge by 

 which the stream enters the Cop^Dcrmine are com- 

 posed of red quartz rock disposed in thin layers. 

 The mouth of the Kendall is laid down by Mr. Simp- 

 son in lat. 67° 7' N., long. 116° 21' W. ; and a 

 meridional observation gave 67° 06' 43'' N., as the 

 latitude of the place where we fell upon the stream. 

 We walked for nearly three miles along its banks 

 to look for a crossing-place ; but, finding that it 

 was no where fordable, we resolved to construct a 

 raft, as there was a sufficiency of dry timber for 

 the purpose. We therefore encamped, and Mr. Rae 

 superintended the operation of raft-making. The 

 weather beinp;' mild Ave were ao;ain troubled with 

 sand-flies. 



