OF THE POLAR SEA. 



179 



excellence of its fish. The Ridge River is rapid and shallow. We 

 had emerged from the muddy channels through an alluvial soil, and 

 the primitive rocks interrupted our way with frequent portages, 

 through the whole route to Isle a la Crosse Lake. At two P.M. 

 we passed the mouth of the Hay River, running from the westward ; 

 and the ridge above its confluence takes the name of the Great 

 River, which rises at the height of land called the Frog Portage. 



The thermometer was this day 100° in the sun, and the heat was 

 extremely oppressive, from our constant exposure to it. We crossed 

 three portages in the Great River, and encamped at the last ; here 

 we met the director of the North- West Company's affairs in the 

 north, Mr. Stuart, on his way to Fort William, in a light canoe. He 

 had left the Athabasca Lake only thirteen days, and brought letters 

 from Mr. Franklin, who desired that we would endeavour to collect 

 stores of every kind at Isle a la Cosse, and added a favourable account 

 of the country, to the northward of the Slave Lake. 



On the l6th, at three A.M., we continued our course, the river 

 increasing to the breadth of half a mile, with many rapids between 

 the rocky islands. The banks were luxuriantly clothed with pines, 

 poplars, and birch trees, of the largest size ; but the different shades 

 of green were undistinguishable at a distance, and the glow of 

 autumnal colours was wanting to render the variety beautiful. 



Having crossed two portages at the different extremities of the 

 Island Lake, we ran through two extensive sheets of water under 

 sail, called the Heron and Pelican Lakes ; the former of which is 

 fifteen miles in length, and the latter lave ; but its extent to the 

 southward has not been explored. An intricate channel, with four 

 small portages, conducted us to the Woody Lake. Its borders were, 

 indeed, walls of pines, hiding the face of steep and high rocks ; 

 and we wandered in search of a landing-place till ten P.M., when we 

 were forced to take shelter from an impending storm, on a small 

 island, where we wedged ourselves between the trees. But though 



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