April, 1869.] Delays hy the Innuits 385 



of the iinwilHng-ness of his Inniiit party to go forward, 'i'hey were 

 tardy in making any preparations for advance; they made their ohl 

 pleas of the necessity for their dogs being rested, and contended about 

 the proper route to be pursued He says : " If I ever get to the end 

 of my journey with such an untamable party it will be a great feat 

 indeed ; they look to Joe also for an example, and he is taking life 

 cosily and lazily." Under some uncertainties as to the best course on 

 this first part of the westward route, Ou-e-la, on whom the main 

 dependence was to be placed, preferred the one which he said had 

 been formerly taken by himself and his father across the land from 

 Colvile Bay; and "Jerry," the Pelly Bay native, concurring in this. 

 Hall submitted to their direction. Starting again on the 4th of April, 

 at 6.46 a. m., on a northwest course, he found the land very low and 

 covered with snow, except where patches here and there had been laid 

 bare by the winds. The weather became stormy and the travel heavy. 

 The Innuits expressed their surprise at the ease with which he could 

 direct their new course by the compass, and Ou-e-la again showed his 

 native intelligence and his habit of observing time correctly by halt- 

 ing of his own accord at nearly the very moment at which Hall had 

 told him he might halt when the chronometer-hand should indicate it; 

 but the next day he was mistaken in his supposition that he could 

 himself find the route, and was willingly guided by Hall's compass. 



On the 7th, the chronometers gave more satisfaction, ruiming well 

 by careful nursing. The course for the next two days was still to the 

 northward and westward ; the land was still very low and gradually 

 sloping. Descending the steepest of a few hills which they crossed, 

 the party came upon their first small lake, and a little farther on upon 



a second, which Hall at first supposed to be Dr. Rae's Cameron Lake, 

 S. Ex. 27 25 



