112 ACROSS THE SUB-ARCTICS OF CANADA. 



west branch few rapids and no lakes exist between the 

 confluence and the woodland district, which is perhaps 

 in the vicinity of Great ISlave or Clinton Golden Lake. 

 Lakes occurring on the course of a river act as catch - 

 basins to prevent the further passage of drift-wood. 

 According to information obtained from the Eskimo, 

 some distance up this river there were great numbers of 

 his people engaged in the building of kyacks. We 

 would have been pleased to visit them, but deeming it 

 unwise at this late season to go out of our way, we 

 pulled on with the stream, which was now double its 

 former strength and flowing again to the northward. 



Many geese were seen about the low grassy shores 

 and islands, upon one of which latter camp was pitched 

 on the evening of the 25th, and a great blazing, roaring 

 fire of drift-wood kindled. 



It was hoped that henceforward for some time this 

 supply of fuel might continue, for of late we had been 

 entirely without fire for warming purposes. The miser- 

 able smudges made of moss or ground birch mixed with 

 deer tallow or sprinkled with alcohol were useful for 

 the purpose of cooking our venison, but for nothing else. 



From camp on the morning of the 26th, for a distance 

 of four or five miles, the river still flowed toward the 

 Arctic, but in latitude 64 41' north it swerved around 

 to the east, and then the south-east, and bore us down 

 to the western extremity of a magnificent body of 

 water, which has been named Aberdeen Lake, in honor 

 of their Excellencies Lord and Lady Aberdeen. It was 

 a lovely calm evening when the track of our canoes first 

 rippled the waters of this lake, and as we landed at a 

 bluff point on the north shore and from it gazed to the 



