ion 
smooth and urass covered, standing well back from the river. Then 
they entered a small lake on the north shore of which they pitched their 
cam]) under a rocky hill. Here there was fortunately a good supply of 
willow for fire wood. The prairie tract through which they had 
passed was sandy and dry, while near the rocks which they seem to 
have reached again more scrub willow is found growing in the sheltered 
corners where there is a little soil. The general course since leaving 
the Esquimaux abandoned camp "has been well to the east.' - The river 
leaves this lake at its north eastern end and is noted as consisting of 
alternate stretches of small lake expansions and narrow channel with 
strong current. There are two rapids but both were run. The series 
of lake and river stretches are estimated at ten miles. Beechy Lake is 
then entered upon and here on July 23rd the party had lunch after 
crossing over to the north shore. Before camping that evening they 
travelled eastward along the north shore of the lake about ten miles. 
Finding no further signs of the Esquimaux in this direction, they con- 
cluded they were on tjie wrong trail and decided to start again at the 
abandoned camp. This was done and they succeeded in finding the 
route by which the Esquimaux had come, viz. by a small stroam from the 
west. They were then certain the Esquimaux were only to be found 
near Bathurst Inlet and as the party had not the time at their disposal 
to make the journey across country to the Inlet, they turned their faces 
homewards. The eastern route by Clinton Golden Lake, \rtillery 
Lake and a small chain of lakes was taken to the western end of 
McLeods Bay, where the Companys' boat was waiting their arrival. 
The first pine tree they saw on their way back was noticed on the 
river between Ptarmigan Lake and Artillery Lake and the first clump of 
pines about twenty miles down Artillery Lake. Of Artillery Lake Mr. 
McKinley has given a short description. -'The lake lies nearly north 
and south, and at the northern end, in fact for most of its length, it is 
seven or eight miles wide. For about twenty miles the banks on both 
sides are prairie, but from that point the west shore is pretty thickly 
grown with pines of a fair size. The east bank throughout is prairie 
except here and there a few pines in a sheltered spot." The southern A, 
end of this lake was reached on the 1 jth of August and the Great Slave > 
3 
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