OF THE POLAR SEA. 



205 



me in pursuing the route they now proposed. They could not inform 

 us what time we should take in reaching the lake, until they saw our 

 manner of travelling in the large canoes, but they supposed we might 

 be about twenty days, in which case I entertained the hope that if 

 we could then procure provision we should have time to descend the 

 Copper-Mine River for a considerable distance if not to the sea 

 itself, and return to the lake before the winter set in. 



It may here be proper to mention that it had been my original 

 plan to descend the Mackenzie's River, and to cross the Great Bear 

 Lake from the eastern side of which, Boileau informed me, there is a 

 communication with the Copper-Mine River by four small lakes and 

 portages ; but, under our present circumstances, this course could 

 not be followed, because it would remove us too far from the esta- 

 blishments, at the Great Slave Lake to receive the supplies of am- 

 munition and some other stores in the winter which were absolutely 

 necessary for the prosecution of our journey, or to get the Esqui- 

 maux interpreter, whom we expected. If I had not deemed these 

 circumstances paramount I should have preferred the route by Bear 

 Lake. 



Akaitcho and the guides having communicated all the information 

 they possessed on the different points to which our questions had 

 been directed, I placed my medal round the neck of the chief, and 

 the officers presented theirs to an elder brother of his and the two 

 guides, communicating to them that these marks of distinction were 

 given as tokens of our friendship and as pledges of the sincerity of 

 our professions. Being conferred in the presence of all the hunters 

 their acquisition was highly gratifying to them, but they studiously 

 avoided any great expression of joy, because such an exposure would 

 have been unbecoming the dignity which the senior Indians assume 

 during a conference. They assured us, however, of their being duly 

 sensible of these tokens of our regard, and that they should be pre- 

 served during their lives with the utmost care. The chief evinced 



