218 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
remained by the fire. We soon quitted the river, 
and after crossing a portage, a small lake, and a 
point of land, came to the borders of the Mam- 
ma-wee Lake. We then found our. error as to 
the strength of the wind; and that the gale still 
blew violently, and there was so much drifting of 
the snow as to cover the distant objects by which 
@ur course could be directed. We fortunately got 
a glimpse through this cloud of a cluster of islands 
in the direction of the houses, and decided on 
walking towards them; but in doing this we 
suffered very much from the cold, and were 
obliged to halt under the shelter of them, and 
await the arrival of our Indian guide. He con- 
ducted us between these islands, over a small 
lake, and by a Swampy river, into the Athabasca 
Lake, from whence the establishments were 
‘Visible. At four P.M. we had the pleasure of 
alriving at Fort Chipewyan, and of being te 
ceived by Messrs. Keith and Black, the partners 
of the North-West Company in charge, in the 
most kind and hospitable manner. . Thus has 
terminated a winter's journey of eight hundred 
and fifty-seven miles, in the progress of which 
there has been a great intermixture of agreeable 
and disagreeable circumstances. Could the 
amount of each be balanced, I suspect the latter 
would much Preponderate ; and amongst these 
