10 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



engaged to meet us with a third canoe at Fort McMur- 

 ray, were also western half-breeds, trained in the use of 

 the pack-straps as well as the paddle, and were a pair 

 of fine strong fellows. Thus it was arranged to com- 

 bine in our party the best skill both of canoemen and 

 portagers. 



Our reasons for not employing the Indians from Lake 

 Athabasca were, that these natives had on nearly all 

 previous expeditions proved to be unreliable. Such 

 men as we had engaged, unlike these Indians, were free 

 from any dread of the Eskimos, and as we advanced 

 soon became entirely dependent on us as their guides. 

 Besides, they were more accustomed to vigorous exer- 

 tion at the paddle and on the portage than the local 

 Indians, who are rather noted for their proficiency in 

 taking life easy. 



Next in importance to procuring good boats and 

 canoemen was the acquisition of a complete set of port- 

 able mathematical instruments, but after some difficulty 

 these, too, were obtained. The following is a list of 

 them : One sextant with folding mercurial horizon, one 

 solar compass, two pocket compasses, two prismatic com- 

 passes, one fluid compass, two boat logs, two clinometers, 

 one aneroid barometer, a pair of maximum and mini- 

 mum thermometers, one pocket chronometer, three good 

 watches, a pair of field-glasses, an aluminum binocular, 

 ajid a small camera. These, though numerous, were not 

 bulky, but they comprised a part of our outfit over 

 which much care had to be exercised throughout the 

 journey. A bill of necessary supplies was also carefully 

 made out, and the order for them forwarded to the 

 Hudson's Bay Company's store at Edmonton, with 



