264 DOUGLAS' JOURNAL 



but the best breakfast the place afforded, in one birch canoe and eleven 

 men. Country low and marshy. Pinus rare, Betula and Populus abound. 

 Shores of the river covered with ice piled on each other in large masses. 

 Did not kill a single animal of any description. Camped on the left or 

 north side of the river at dusk. Gained forty-seven miles. Rain in the 

 evening. No supper. Cloudy and sultry during the day, maximum heat 

 63, minimum 40. 



Wednesday, 9th. Morning clear and fine ; minimum heat 40, 

 maximum 61. Proceeded on our course, still unsuccessful in procuring 

 food by our own exertions. At eight o'clock came to the camp of a 

 Nipissing hunter who had the day before killed a small black bear, which 

 he gave us with some half -dried beaver-meat, on which we made a hearty 

 meal and then resumed our route down the river as far as the junction of 

 Slave Rise River, which flows out of Lesser Slave Lake into the Athabasca 

 River. We had not been here more than two hours when we were joined 

 by the party from Lesser Slave Lake, headed by John Stuart, Esq., 

 Chief Factor of the district, who received me in the most friendly manner. 

 During the time the canoes were repairing, a dinner of reindeer steaks 

 was prepared when we embarked and ascended the Athabasca again. 

 Country the same as yesterday, low and marshy. 



Thursday, 10th. Minimum heat 36, maximum 40. At daybreak a 

 heavy fall of snow, which continued throughout the day until dusk, in 

 consequence of which we were under the necessity of remaining in our 

 camp, which was very bad, being on the low ground among Equisetum 

 hyetnale. Mr. Stuart, I find to have a more intimate knowledge of the 

 country than any person I have yet seen, and a good idea of plants and 

 other departments in natural history. He was the first individual who 

 crossed the Rocky Mountains and established Western Caledonia in 1805, 

 and the same year reached the Pacific at Eraser's River near Puget Sound, 

 and has since been over a vast extent of country in these parts, first 

 explored by Sir A. McKenzie. He has been also on the Columbia. He 

 informs me, from a letter received from Dr. Richardson, dated Fort Resolu- 

 tion, on Great Bear Lake, of the return of the whole expedition without 

 having reached Icy Cape. That a connected survey of 13 of longitude 

 to the west of Mckenzie's River has been made, but from the hostile 

 disposition of the Esquimaux they found it impenetrable and that on the 

 navigation opening they should all be at Cumberland. From the informa- 

 tion he gives me of the opportunities that canoe travelling affords of 

 collecting subjects of natural history, I have abandoned my idea of going 

 either to Montreal or New York, and agreeably to the plans pointed out 

 by Mr. Sabine last year as the better way, I shall sail from Hudson's Bay. 

 By doing this I can remain six weeks at some place in the interior, and still 

 be in time for the ship. By going through Canada nothing could be done 

 and my trip would no doubt be expensive. Perhaps I may be enabled 

 to go to Swan and Red Rivers overland from Carlton House, a journey of 

 twenty days. This I am told will depend on the route taken by the 

 Stone Indians, who are hostile, and if in that direction would be deemed 

 unsafe. Learned that Mr. McDonald, the person who had in charge my 



