214 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



fail, if provision were not soon obtained. We embarked at six, pro- 

 ceeded to the head of the lake, and crossed a portage of two thou- 

 sand five hundred paces, leading over ridges of sand-hills, which 

 nourished pines of a larger size than we had lately seen. This 

 conducted us to Mossy Lake, from whence we regained the river, 

 after traversing another portage. The Birch and Poplar portages 

 next followed, and beyond these we came to a part where the river 

 takes a great circuit, and its course is interrupted by several heavy 

 falls. The guide, therefore, advised us to quit it, and proceed 

 through a chain of nine lakes extending to the north-east, which we 

 did, and encamped on Icy Portage, where the nets were set. The 

 bottom of the valley, through which the track across this portage 

 led, was covered with ice four or five feet thick, the remains of a 

 large iceberg, which is annually formed there, by the snow drifting 

 into the valley, and becoming consolidated into ice by the overflowing 



of some springs that are warm enough to resist the winter's cold. 



The latitude is 63° 22' 15" N"., longitude 114° 15' 30" W. 



We were alarmed in the night by our fire communicating to the 

 dry moss, which spreading by the force of a strong wind, encircled 

 the encampment and threatened destruction to our canoes and 

 baggage. The watch immediately aroused all the men, who quickly 

 removed whatever could be injured to a distant part, and afterwards 

 succeeded in extinguishing the flame. 



August 8. — During this day we crossed five portages, passing over 

 a very bad road. The men were quite exhausted with fatigue by 

 five P.M., when we were obliged to encamp on the borders of the 

 fifth lake, in which the fishing-nets were set. We began this even- 

 ing to issue some portable soup and arrow-root, which our compa- 

 nions relished very much ; but this food is too unsubstantial to sup- 

 port their vigour under their daily exhausting labour, and we could 

 not furnish them with a sufficient quantity even of this to satisfy 

 their desires. We commenced our labours on the next day in a very 





