[ERMATINGER] YORK FACTORY EXPRESS JOURNAL 97 
29th.—Rain in the morning. Started about 3 a.m. Proceeded with 
the oars to the sea river portage which having cleared hoisted the sail 
and sailed to Jack River House! where we arrived about 9 p.m. 
30th.—Wet weather. Left Jack River House before noon and 
sailed to Norway House. Here we found 2 R. River Boats? Messrs. 
Ross® and Heron.‘ Started again in the evening and encamped at the 
next point. 
31st, Tuesday.—Weather being moderate started after sunrise 
and rowed to the Mossy Point—here finding that wind was likely to be 
too much for us we about ship to regain our last Encampment—however 
afterwards thinking that it had calmed we put about again when about 
half back—then the wind veered a little to the S.W. We were enabled 
to hoist sail—but we soon perceived that a storm was coming on and 
had only time to run our boats ashore and get out the cargoes when it 
began to blow a gale with thunder and lightening and heavy showers of 
rain. The place where we were forced to put ashore is a very bad land- 
ing and never approached but in cases of danger—here we were fortunate 
enought to find Tom Firth with two Saskn. Boats who was forced ashore 
yesterday by bad weather. His people were useful in assisting us to 
land our cargoes which was done with little damage. One Boat however 
got two planks knocked out by the violence of the waves before she 
could be hauled up and 16 of her timbers broken. 
August— 
1st.—Fine weather. Wind westerly blowing hard—people em- 
ployed drying some of our wet things and repairing the boat broken 
yesterday. Remained here for this night. 
2nd.—Fine weather. Wind being more moderate loaded the boats 
and got under weigh about 8 a.m.—rowed along the shores of the Lake 
till 6 p.m. and then hoisted sail and proceeded with a fresh breeze till 
night. 
3rd.—Friday. Sailed all night and arrived at the Grand Rapid 
at 9a.m. Got the Boats up to the Portage and carried the cargoes half 

1 The new establishment or ‘new’ Norway House; see ante. 
2? Red River boats. 
3 Improbable that it was Alex. Ross, clerk, Pacific Fur Co.; entered North West 
Co’s. service on the transfer in 1813; left with the overland party April, 1814; 
wintered at Okanagan 1815-16; in autumn 1816, went to Kamloops; left the H. B. 
Co. in 1825; was the author of “The Red River Settlement,” “The Fur-hunters of 
the Far West,’’ and “Adventures on the Columbia River.” 
“Coues notes a ‘Mr. Heron’ at Fort Alexander (Bas de la Riviere), with Crebassa, 
July, 1817. Probably the James Heron who accompanied Governor Simpson in 
1828, from Rapid River House to Fort Chipewyan and was put in charge there as 
successor to William McGillivray. 
