Iii the Arctic !,'■ gions. 81 



were, would drag their load to the Athabasca Lake in 

 less time than any three of theirs could. Saving ex- 

 pressed our surprise at hisapparenl temerity, he coolly 

 said the men from the lower countries did not under- 

 :.tl the management of their dogs, and that he de- 

 pended on his superior skill in driving ; and we soon 

 gathered from his remarks, that the voyagers of the 

 Athabasca department consider themselves as very su- 

 perior to any other. The only reasons which he could 

 assign were, thai they had borne their burdens across 



the terrible Methye Porta-.', and that they were ac- 



nied to live harder and more precariously. 

 March 25. — Eaving now the guidance of an old Ca- 

 nadian, we -ent forward the Indian, and one of our 

 men, with letters to the gentleman at the Athabai 

 Lake. The rest of the party set oil* afterwards, and 

 kept along the river until ten, when, we branched off 

 by portages into the Embarrass River, the usual chan- 

 nel of communication in canoes with the lake. It is 



a DaiTOW and serpentine stream, confined between al- 

 luvial hanks which support pines, poplars, and willows. 

 We had not advanced far before we came up with the 

 two men despatched by us this morning. '1'he Btormy 



weather had compelled them to encamp, as there was 



too much drifting of the snow for any attempt b 

 made to cross the lake. We were obliged, though 



nio-t reluctantly, to follow their example ; hut wecom- 



l- 



