FORT RAE 



79 



son, for which place he was soon "thinking long," looking on 

 his assignment to Rae as an undeserved punishment. 



Another agreeable change was that the whitefish were im- 

 proving in quality and becoming abundant. About fifteen 

 were taken each night in a thirty-fathom net. 



August 6th, the next morning after we had reached the post, 

 the "Wrigley" arrived with the season's outfit and the mails. 



Canoe Trip across the Great Slave Lake. On the evening of 

 August 27th I learned that a party of French metis would 

 start the next day for Resolution, or " Slave Lake," as it is 

 called by the Company's people. Alexis Laferte had secured 

 a lake canoe and, assisted by his brother Vitall and an Indian 

 named Emile, intended to move his family across the lake, 

 where he was to enter the service of the free traders. I still 

 hoped that I could "make the fall hunt" for musk-ox, if not 

 with the Dog Ribs, then with the Yellow Knives who trade at 

 Resolution. It was desirable that I should have a more satis- 

 factory interpreter than Andrew. Finally, I wished to make 

 arrangements to hunt buffalo from Resolution in midwinter. 

 " Lixie " was willing to carry a passenger, if I "paddled my 

 own weight." He declared that there would be "small little 

 room " for baggage, and urged me to take only my blanket and 

 a little provision. I took sufficient dried meat for five days, 

 as that was the time usually required, under favorable condi- 

 tions, to make the trip. The season of autumnal storms was 

 at hand, but we relied upon the net and trout hooks to furnish 

 us with fish in case we should be delayed. After starting, I 

 found that the canoe would easily have carried a half ton more- 



On the 28th the several members of the party occupied so 

 much time in bidding their friends farewell, and alternately 

 smoking a last "pipe" and drinking a last cup of tea, that it 

 was nearly sunset before they were ready, when they concluded 

 that it was too late to start, and the fair wind, which had been 

 blowing steadily all day, was not utilized. The next day these 

 ceremonies had to be repeated, so that it was late in the after- 

 noon before we set off, paddling against a strong head wind. 

 We traveled until a late hour to reach an alleged fishing place, 

 though the net yielded only one small sucker in the morning. 

 Shortly after midnight a heavy rain set in and continued until 

 sunrise. My only shelter was the overturned canoe. The next 



