274 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



On the 1st of November our men began to make a raft to enable 

 us to cross a river which was not even frozen at the edges. It was 

 soon finished, and three of us embarked, being seated up to the 

 ancles in water. We each took a pine branch for a paddle, and 

 made an effort to gain the opposite shore, in which, after some time, 

 (and not without strong apprehensions of drifting into the Slave 

 Lake,) we succeeded. In two hours' time the whole party was over, 

 with a comfortable addition to it in the shape of some fine fish, 

 which the Indians had caught; of course we did not forget to take 

 these friends with us, and after passing several lakes, to one of which 

 we saw no termination, we halted within eight miles of the fort. 

 The Great Slave Lake was not frozen. 



In crossing a narrow branch of the lake I fell through the ice, but 

 received no injury ; and at noon we arrived at Fort Providence, and 

 were received by Mr. Weeks, a clerk of the North- West Company, 

 and in charge of the establishment. I found several packets of 

 letters for the officers, which I was desirous of sending to them 

 immediately ; but as the Indians and their wives complained of 

 illness and inability to return before they had rested, a flagon of 

 mixed spirits was given them, and their sorrows were soon forgotten, 

 and in a quarter of an hour they pronounced themselves excellent 

 hunters, and capable of going any where ; however, their boasting 

 ceased with the last drop of the bottle, when a crying scene took 

 place, which would have continued half the night, had not the 

 magic of an additional quantity of spirits dried their tears, and 

 once more turned their mourning into joy. It was a satisfac- 

 tion to me to behold these poor creatures enjoying themselves, 

 for they had behaved in the most exemplary and active manner 

 towards the party, and with a generosity and sympathy seldom 

 found even in the more civilized parts of the world; and the 

 attention and affection which they manifested towards their wives, 



