54 JOURI^IEY TO THE SHORES 



learnt,) that we should not have sufficient for our- 

 selves : " We are accustomed to starvation," said 

 they, " but you are not." In the evening, we 

 halted near Rocky Lake. I accompanied one of 

 the Indians to the summit of a hill, where he 

 shewed me a dark horizontal cloud, extending to 

 a considerable distance along the mountains in 

 the perspective, which he said was occasioned by 

 the Great Slave Lake, and was considered as a 

 good guide to all the hunters in the vicinity. On 

 our return we saw two untenanted bears' dens. 



" The night was cloudy with heavy snow ; yet 

 the following morning we continued our tedious 

 march, many of the lakes remained still open, the 

 rocks high and covered with snow, which con- 

 tinued to fall all day, consequently we effected but 

 a trifling distance, and that too with much difficulty. 

 In the evening we halted ; having only performed 

 about seven miles. One of the Indians gave us 

 a fish which he had caught, though he had nothing 

 for himself ; and it was with much trouble that he 

 could be prevailed upon to partake of it The 

 night was cloudy with snow. On the 29th we 

 set out through deep snow and thick woods • and 

 after crossing two small lakes stopped to break- 

 last, sending the women on before, as they had 

 already complained of lameness, and could not 

 keep pace with the party. It was not long before 

 we overtook them on the banks of a small lake. 



