OF THE POLAR SEA 309 
long island. occupies the centre of the river, which 
it divides into two channels, The longitude was 
obtained near to it 113° 25’ 36”, and variation 
27° 25’ 14” N., and the latitude 60° 54/ 52” N., 
about four miles farther down. We passed the 
mouth of a broad channel leading to the north- 
east, termed La Grande Riviére de Jean, one of 
the two large branches by which the river pours 
its waters into the Great Slave Lake ; the flooded 
delta at the mouth of the river is intersected by 
several smaller channels, through one of which, 
called the Channel of the. Scaffold,. we pursued 
our voyage on the following morning, and by 
eight A.M. reached the establishment of the 
North-West Company on Moose-Deer Island. 
We found letters from Mr. Wentzel, dated Fort 
Providence, on the north side of the lake which 
communicated to us, that there was an Indian 
guide waiting for us at that post ;.but, that the 
chief and the hunters, who were to accompany 
the party, had gone to a short distance to hunt. 
They were becoming impatient at our delay. 
Soon after landing, I visited the Hudson’s Bay 
Post on the same island, and engaged Pierre St. 
German, an interpreter for the Copper Indians. 
We regretted to find the posts of both the Com- 
panies extremely,bar e of provision; but as the 
gentlemen 1 in charge had despatched men on the 
