I3S JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



of Rock-nest Lake werestiU bound by ice, and that 

 recourse must again be had to the sledges. The 

 ice was muchdecayed, and the party wereexposed 

 to great risk of breaking through in making the 

 traverse. In one part we had to cross an open 

 channel in the canoes, and in another were com- 

 pelled to quit the lake, and make a portage 

 along the land. When the party had got upon 

 the ice again, our guide evinced much uncertainty 

 as to the route. He first directed us towards the 

 west end of the lake; but when we had nearly 

 gained that point, he discovered a remarkable 

 rock to the north-east, named by the Indians the 

 Rock-nest, and then recollected that the river ran 

 at Its base. Our course was immediately changed 

 to that direction, but the traverse we had then to 

 make was more dangerous than the former one. 

 Ihe ice cracked under us at every step, and the 

 party were obliged to separate themselves widely 

 to prevent accidents. We landed at the first 

 point we could approach, but having found an 

 open channel close to the shore, we were obliged 

 to ferry the goods across on pieces of ice. The 

 resh meat bemg expended we had to make ano- 

 fter inroad on our pounded meat. The evening 

 was very wann, and the musquitoes numerous, 

 our T """' ""^^ '° ''PP"^" the htinters of 

 our advance. The scenery of Rock-nest Lake is 



