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THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



western of the two channels is wholly impassable, but the eastern channel 

 can be traversed, provided boats have been lightened of their cargoes. 

 Accordingly we removed our freight and baggage to the shore, transport- 

 ing them the length of the island in hand-pushed carts or on our backs, 

 and steered the emptied scows through the shoals along the eastern bank. 

 Finally, at the far end of the island, we reloaded the boats, having con- 

 sumed six days in the tedious operation. 



The next hundred miles gave an almost continuous succession of 

 rapids, which, however, our scows passed without damage. We reached 



HEADMAN OLD CATHARINE 



FuUblooded Chipewyan. 



Ft. McMurray, the objective point of the scows, on the 28th of May. 

 Here the freight was unloaded and piled on the bank to await the arrival 

 of the Hudson's Bay Company's steamer, the "Grahame," which 

 plies irregularly between Ft. McMurray and Smith's Landing. Captain 

 Kelly then turned back, leaving me and two half-breed watchmen with 

 three days' supply of provisions — which it turned out we had to hus- 

 band with care, since the steamer did not appear for eight days. The 

 remainder of the trip presented no unusual features, and on the Sth of 



