EXPLORING IN THE CARIBOU COUNTRY 



reached the outlet of the lake. Just before reach- 

 ing the end of the lake a flock of ptarmigan was 

 flushed and by some waiting Marius was able to 

 get seven, all of which went at once into the cook- 

 ing pot. We have been keeping down our rations 

 to a low limit and are now very hungry. 



Here there is a fall of about 50 feet, half of 

 which is in one chute, and strong rapids continue 

 below extending to a small lake about three miles 

 distant. We had followed the lake shore in the 

 hope to be able to get across and explore the 

 country beyond, which appears high, and caribou 

 hunters tell us there are two more great valleys 

 occupied by long lakes before the Knud Rasmussen 

 ice-arm is reached. I am most anxious to get 

 across, but can find no practicable place. 



If we had a boat we could go down to the lake 

 and cross there, but the rapids are deep and very 

 swift with rocks in the channel. Marius shakes 

 his head and says, "No"! After some hours spent 

 in reconnaissance, we have a meal of pemmican 

 and make camp near the outlet. Bad weather is 

 again threatening. During the night it rained, but 

 on the morning of the thirteenth the barometer was 

 rising and the sky clearing. Potter and I climbed 

 the mountain northwest of the outlet. From the 

 summit at an elevation of 2654 feet, though the 



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