CH1PPEWYAN TO BLACK LAKE. 55 



pany him as far as their home, tried to persuade him, 

 but Indian- like he would not promise to do one thing 

 or the other. At last we told him to go where he chose, 

 as we were in no way dependent on him, but knew our 

 own way well enough. 



As arranged, the Grahame steamed away during the 

 afternoon, for the Great Slave River, with Dr. McKay, 

 Captain Mills and Bishop Young on board, but our own 

 start was deferred until the next morning, and in the 

 meantime home letters were written, for a packet was 

 to go south from here about the 1 6th of July. 



On the morning of the 21st of June, the whole outfit 

 being snugly stowed in the three canoes, our party set 

 out on the eastward course. Old Hoberly, the guide, 

 was also on hand with his family and big bark canoe. 

 The morning was beautifully fair and calm ; all nature 

 seemed to be smiling. But soon the smile became a 

 frown. The east wind, as if aroused by our paddles, 

 began to stir himself, and before long made things 

 unpleasant enough, coming not alone but with clouds of 

 mist and rain. Though we could make but slow pro- 

 gress, we persisted in travelling until 9.30 p.m., when, 

 having made about twenty-four knots, we pitched camp 

 in a little sandy bay, worthy to be remembered 

 because of the swarms of mosquitos which greeted us 

 on landing. We had been reminded of the existence of 

 these creatures at Chippewyan and at former camps, 

 but here it was a question of the survival of the fittest. 

 Mosquito nets, already fixed to our hats, had to be 

 drawn down and tightly closed, and mosquito oil or 

 grease smeared over the hands. 



The whole north shore of the lake, being bold and 



