276 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 



mens of plants and minerals, collected on the sea- 

 coast, being unable to carry them any farther. 

 The way made to-day was five miles and a 

 quarter. 



September 22. — After walking about two miles 

 this morning, we came upon the borders of a 

 large lake, whose extremities could not be dis- 

 cerned in consequence of the density of the atmo- 

 sphere; but as its shores seemed to approach 

 nearer to each other to the southward than to the 

 northward, we determined on tracing it in that 

 direction. We were grieved at finding the lake 

 expand very much beyond the contracted part 

 we had first seen, and incline to the eastward 

 of south. As it was considered more than pro- 

 bable, from the direction and size of the body 

 of water we were now tracing, that it was a 

 branch of Point Lake ; and as, in any case, we 

 knew that by passing round its south end, we 

 must shortly come to the Copper-Mine River, 

 our course was continued in that direction. The 

 appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, 

 larger than usual, induced us to suppose the 

 river was near. We encamped early, having 

 come eight miles. Our supper consisted of tripe 

 de roche and half a partridge each. 



Our progress next day was extremely slow. 

 from the difficulty of managing the canoe in pass- 



