87 
which he gave the name " McKay Lake," in honour of Dr. McKay, the 
Factor in charge of the Hudson Bay Go's posts in the Athabasca Dis- 
trict. In this vicinity he spent some of the winter months, hunting the 
Barren-ground Caribou and Musk-ox ere he returned to Slave Lake. It 
was his intention to go much further north the ensuing summer via the 
Great Fish River. With a view to encourage trade with the Esquimaux 
who hunted in that district, Mr. Jas. McKinley, the clerk in charge of 
Fort Resolution, joined with Mr. Pike informing a' somewhat large 
party. The proposed route was evidently to retrace Mr. Pike's steps 
northward to McKay Lake, thence coasting eastward to the outlet, and 
following the Lockhart River to Aylmer Lake, from the north east 
corner portaging to the Great Fish River, but after reaching Lac du 
Mort on this route, a short distance north of Slave Lake, the direction 
was changed to a more direct course, across country to the Lockhart 
River. 
On the afternoon of May 7th, with dog trains and sleds or tobog 
gans, the party left the Hudson Bay Co's establishment at Fort Resolu- 
tion, and travelled principally on the ice of the lake northward along 
the eastern shore. On the 9th they crossed the lake to the group of 
islands called by Capt. Back, Simpson's Group. Turning more to the 
north east, their course for several days lay among the islands forming 
this chain, and on the 13th they probably reached the narrows, or with- 
in a short distance of that point. Here they met some Indians, and 
halted to engage them to accompany the party. Much objection was 
made owing to the scarcity of provisions, the Indians being in a starving 
condition and the travellers but lightly equipped, This necessitated a 
delay to hunt, and finally on the 23rd they all started and travelled 
about ten miles. On the 23rd the travelling was slow, and they went 
probably the same distance. Of that part of the lake the description 
given in the journal is as follows : " The lake on leaving camp widens 
out, is studded with rocky islands, and the banks on each side are high 
and reeky, sparsely covered with stunted pine and birch." The next 
day they travelled only about five miles on the lake to a small river, up 
which they turned, leaving the Great Slave Lake. " We found on fol- 
lowing up the little stream a succession of falls, which were all frozen, 
with high banks of iee. These took us till evening to surmount, some 
