CHAPTER XII. 



DOWN TO THE SEA. 



BAKER LAKE, about seventy miles in length and per- 

 haps half that in breadth, was originally discovered and 

 rudely mapped by one Captain Christopher, about the 

 year 1770. In searching for the North- West Passage 

 he sailed into it with two small vessels from Hudson 

 Bay, passing en route through Chesterfield Inlet and the 

 two rivers flowing into it from Baker Lake. Having 

 with us a copy of Captain Christopher's map, though of 

 a very sketchy character, it afforded us some informa- 

 tion as to our future course. 



Since leaving the shores of Black Lake we had tra- 

 versed to this point a distance of just eight hundred and 

 ten miles, through an entirely unknown country. We 

 had occupied more time in doing so than we had ex- 

 pected, on account of the extraordinary character of the 

 weather, but, however, on this evening of the 2nd of 

 September we found ourselves at the mouth of " the 

 great river flowing to the northward," as described by 

 the Black Lake Indians. 



From our astronomical observations and survey it 

 was found that the extremity of the lake as determined 

 by Christopher, and as located on the existing maps of 

 Canada, was nine miles too far south and about fifty 



