66 ON THE GREAT CHURCHILL RIVER 



into the Churchill in the bottom of a deeply inlet 

 bay. 



Toward evening we entered Black Bear Island 

 Lake through its maze of channels which flow 

 between the large islands that block its entrance 

 and obscure extensive view. Like the shadows of a 

 big problem were those islands which were crowded 

 in and almost made prison walls about us, leaving 

 us anxious to solve the riddle that would dis- 

 cover the doorway of escape and give again the 

 freedom of the open road. Nowhere do I recall 

 such another eerie, shut-in scene as this. But in 

 an hour or so we had worked our way through 

 to more open water and pitched camp for the 

 night on the north mainland of the lake, viewing, 

 across the shimmering, dead-calm water, and 

 over the tree-covered contour, a glorious sunset 

 among grey and white clouds that had retired 

 to the horizon from the great blue open sky. 



No less ungenerous than on the days that have 

 gone before are my entries and remarks this 

 evening on mosquitoes and black flies. They 

 give no peace when on shore : they truly are the 

 curse of summer travel in Canada. 



June 14. A lovely morning ; calm, and clear, 

 and warm ; the continuance of a spell of fine 

 weather without drawback to voyaging. We 

 did not leave in the canoe at once this morning, 

 but explored in the dark forest behind camp 

 among fallen limbs and trunks lying about on 

 the rough, hillocky, moss-covered underbed of 

 the woods. Many of the trees were picturesquely 

 lichen-grown with whitish, close-clinging plant, 

 and with scattered tufts of hairy, moss-like, pale- 



