314 EMBARKATION. 



the boat, which could only happen by the special 

 permission of the Great Spirit, in whose keeping 

 we were as safe as if we had a score of boats, 

 I recommended him to collect plenty of provi- 

 sions for me by the autumn, and in two moons 

 and a half to look beyond the mountains for the 

 smoke of my fires on our return. Then, shaking 

 him by the hand, I stepped into the boat : it 

 was half loaded ; and pulling down stream 

 we entered a small lake, whose western shore 

 led to a narrow channel formed by an island 

 with a rapid on either side. The one which we 

 ran was rather shoal, but the boat did not 

 ground ; and having rounded the north end of 

 the island, we encamped at a clump of willows 

 on the eastern shore, which offered every con- 

 venience for drying and caulking her. In the 

 space of an hour, the whole of the cargo was 

 brought without dogs or sledges ; and the boat 

 being turned up to dry, we were rejoiced to see 

 that the bottom was uninjured, having been 

 merely scraped in one place. The thermometer 

 to-day was 56° with a light breeze from E. by S. 

 It is remarkable that for near a month past 

 there had not been two consecutive days of fine 

 weather ; and now as we hoped the charm was 

 broken, the clouds began to gather with the 

 declining sun, and by midnight assumed an 

 aspect so decidedly stormy as not to be mistaken. 



