212 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



As soon as the tents were pitched, the officers and men were 

 divided into watches for the night ; a precaution intended to be 

 taken throughout the journey, not merely to prevent our being 

 surprised by strangers, but also to show our companions that we 

 were constantly on our guard. The chief, who suffered nothing to 

 escape his observation, remarked, " that he should sleep without 

 anxiety among the Esquimaux, for he perceived no enemy could 

 surprise us." 



After supper we retired to rest, but our sleep was soon inter- 

 rupted by the Indians joining in loud lamentations over a sick child, 

 whom they supposed to be dying. Dr. Richardson, however, im- 

 mediately went to the boy, and administered some medicine which 

 relieved his pain, and put a stop to their mourning. The temperatures, 

 this day, were at four A.M. 54°, three P.M. 72°, at seven P.M. 6o°. 



On the 4th we crossed a small lake, and passed over in succession 

 the Blue Berry Cascade, and Double Fall portages, where the river 

 falls over ridges of rocks that completely obstruct the passage for 

 canoes. We came to three strong rapids beyond these barriers, 

 which were surmounted by the aid of the poles and lines, and then 

 to a bend of the river in which the cascades were so frequent, that 

 to avoid them we carried the canoes into a chain of small lakes. 

 We entered them by a portage of nine hundred and fifty paces, and 

 during the afternoon traversed three other grassy lakes, and en- 

 camped on the banks of the river, at the end of the Yellow-Knife 

 Portage, of three hundred and fifty paces. This day's work was 

 very laborious to our men. Akaitcho, however, had directed his 

 party to assist them in carrying their burdens on the portages, which 

 they did cheerfully. This morning Mr. Back caught several fish 

 with a fly, a method of fishing entirely new to the Indians ; and 

 they were not more delighted than astonished at his skill and 

 success. The extremes of temperature to-day were 54° and 65°. 



On August 5th we continued the ascent of the river which varied 



