220 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



allow him to be absent ten days to provide his family with clothing, 

 as the skin of the rein-deer is unfit for that purpose after the month 

 of September. We could not refuse to grant such a reasonable 





request, but caused St. Germain to accompany him, that his absence 

 might not exceed the appointed time. Previous to his departure 

 the chief warned us to be constantly on our guard against the grizzly 

 bears, which he described as being numerous in this vicinity, and 

 very ferocious ; one had been seen to-day by an Indian, to which 

 circumstance the lake owes its appellation. We afterwards learned 

 that the only bear in this part of the country is the brown bear, 

 and that they by no means possess the ferocity which the Indians 

 ascribe to them with their usual love of exaggeration. The fierce 

 grizzly bear, which frequents the sources of the Missouri, is not 

 found on the barren grounds. 







■ The shores of this lake and the neighbouring hills are principally 



_ I » ^ 



composed of sand and gravel ; they are much varied in their outline 

 and present some picturesque scenery. 



The following observations were taken here : latitude 64° 1 5' 1 7 

 N. ; longitude 113° 2' 39" W. ; variation of the compass 36° 50' 47" 

 E. ; and dip of the needle 87° 20' 35" 



On August the 17 th, having finished drying the meat, which had 

 been retarded by the heavy showers of rain that fell in the morning, 

 we embarked at one P.M. and crossed two lakes and two por- 

 tages. The last of these was two thousand and sixty-six paces 

 long, and very rugged, so that the men were much fatigued. 

 On the next day we received the flesh of four rein-deer by the 

 small canoe which had been sent for it yesterday, and heard that 

 the hunters had killed several more deer on our route. We saw 

 many of these animals as we passed along to-day ; and our compa- 

 nions, delighted with the prospect of having food in abundance, now 

 began to accompany their paddling with singing, which they had 



discontinued ever since our provisions became scarce. We passed 



