312 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
Island, where we breakfasted. This island is 
merely a rock of gneiss, that rises forty or fifty 
feet above the lake, and is precipitous on the 
north side, As the day was fine, and the lake 
smooth, we ventured upon paddling across to the 
Rein-Deer Islands, which were distant about thir- 
teen miles in a northern direction, instead of pur- 
suing the usual track by keeping further along the 
south shore, which inclines to the eastward from 
this point. These islands are numerous, and 
consist of granite, rising from one hundred to 
two hundred feet above the water. They are 
for the most part naked ; but towards the centres 
of the larger ones, there is a little soil, and a few 
groves of pines. “At seven in the evening we 
landed upon one of them, and encamped n 
breeze, and a heavy swell, for some hours, but at 
length were obliged to seek shelter ona large 
island adjoining to Isle 4 la Cache of Mackenzie; 
where the following observations were obtained : 
latitude 61° 50’ 18” N., longitude 113° 21°40” W., 
and variation 31° 2 06” E. 
The wind and swell having subsided in the 
afternoon, we re-embarked, and steered towards 
the western point of the Big Island of Mackenzie; 
and when four miles distant from it, had forty- 
two fathoms soundings. Passing between this 
