340 A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



This evening the Indians made a large fire, as a signal to the 

 Hook's party that we had passed the terrific rapid in safety. 



The position of our encampment was ascertained to be, latitude 

 67° 1' 10" N., longitude 116° 27' 28" W., variation of the compass 

 44° 1 1' 43" E., dip of the needle 87° 31' 18". 



Some thunder showers retarded the drying of the meat, and bur 

 embarkation was delayed next day. The hunters were sent for- 

 ward to hunt at the Copper Mountains, under the superintendence 

 of Adam, the interpreter, who received strict injunctions not to 

 permit them to make any large fires, lest they should alarm straggling 

 parties of the Esquimaux. 



The musquitoes were now very numerous and annoying, but 



we consoled ourselves with the hope that their season would be 

 short. 



On the 11th we started at three A.M., and as the guide had re- 

 presented the river below our encampment to be full of shoals, some 

 of the men were directed to walk along the shore, but they were 

 assailed so violently by the musquitoes, as to be compelled to 

 bark very soon ; and we afterwards passed over the shallow parts 

 by the aid of the poles, without experiencing much interruption. 

 The current ran very rapidly, having been augmented by the waters of 

 the Mouse River and several small streams. We rejoined our hunters 

 at the foot of the Copper Mountains, and found they had killed 

 three musk oxen. This circumstance determined us on encamping 



em 



to dry the meat, as there was wood at the spot. We availed our- 



selves of this delay to visit the Copper Mountains in search of spe 

 cimens of the ore, agreeably to my instructions ; and a party of 

 twenty-one persons, consisting of the officers, some of the voyagers, 

 and all the Indians, set off on that excursion. We travelled for nine 

 hours over a considerable space of ground, but found only a few small 

 pieces of native copper. The range we ascended was on the west 

 side of the river, extending W.N.W. and E.S.E. The mountains 



