OF THE POLAR SEA. 277 
the other carried five Canadians; both were 
deeply laden, and the waves ran high on the lake. 
No person in our party being well acquainted 
with the rivers to the northward, Mr. Conolly 
gave us a pilot, on condition that we should ex- 
change him when we met with the Athabasca 
brigade of canoes. At four A.M. we embarked. 
We soon found that birchen-bark canoes were 
not calculated to brave rough weather on a large 
lake, for we were compelled to land on the oppo- 
site border, to free them from the water which. 
had already saturated their cargoes. The wind 
became more moderate, and we were enabled, 
after traversing a chain of smaller lakes, to enter 
the mouth of the Sturgeon River, at sunset, 
where we encamped. | 
The lading of the canoes is always, if possi- 
ble, carried on shore at night, and the canoes 
taken out of the water. The following evening 
we reached Beaver Lake, and landed to repair 
some damages sustained by the canoes. A round 
stone will displace the lading of a canoe, without 
doing any injury, but a slight blow against a 
sharp corner penetrates the bark. For the pur- 
pose of repairing it, a small quantity of gum or 
pitch, bark and pine rootes, are embarked, and 
the business is so expeditiously performed, that 
the speed of the canoe amply compensates for 
every delay. The Sturgeon River is justly called 
