

A GREAT FROZEN LAKE. 93 



ow almost entirely consisted the canoes were again 

 launched in the swift stream, in which during the day 

 rapid after rapid was run, until six were successfully 

 passed and a descent of over a hundred feet had been 

 made. 



At about six o'clock in the evening, having made 

 twenty miles, a fortunate incident occurred. As we 

 were approaching a seventh rapid we suddenly found 

 ourselves enveloped in a dense chilling mist, which so 

 obstructed the view that we were unable to proceed. 

 As we went ashore at the head of the rapid we discov- 

 ered, much to our delight, a little patch of stunted black 

 spruce trees. They were twisted and gnarled, and not 

 more than four or five feet in height, but as fuel they 

 were the source of much comfort, and beside them we 

 decided to camp. It was Saturday night. During the 

 day's run we had been soaked by the spray of the 

 rapids, and were therefore in good condition to again 

 enjoy the warm, cheerful blaze of a fire, around which 

 we all huddled and sat far into the night, drying our 

 clothing, rehearsing adventures of the day and discus- 

 sing the prospects of the future. 



The morrow being Sunday we had a further oppor- 

 tunity of enjoying the camp-fire, cooked provisions, and 

 dry clothing, all which are rare luxuries in the Barren 

 Lands. Our fishing nets, which had been set in the 

 river the night before, were taken up loaded with mag- 

 nificent whitefish and trout, the former ranging from 

 six to ten pounds in weight, and the latter up to twenty- 

 five pounds. 



During the afternoon, as my brother was tramping in 

 the interior he reached the summit of an adjacent Hill, 



