126 Thirty Years 



reindeer. This intelligence inspired our companions 

 with fresh energy, and they quickly traversed the next 

 portage, and paddled through the Eeindeer Lake ; 

 at the north side of it we found the canoes of our 

 hunters, and learned from our guide that the Indians 

 usually leave their canoes here, as the water commu- 

 nication on their hunting grounds is bad. The Yel- 

 low-Knife Kiver has now dwindled into an insignificant 

 rivulet, and we could not trace it beyond the next 

 lake, except as a mere brook. The latitude of its 

 source 64° 1' 30" N., longitude 113° 36' W., and its 

 length is one hundred and fifty-six statute miles. 

 Though this river is of sufficient breadth and depth 

 for navigating in canoes, yet I conceive its course is 

 too much interrupted by cascades and rapids for its 

 ever being used as a channel for the conveyance ot 

 merchandize. Whilst the crews were employed in 

 making a portage over the foot of Prospect Hill, we 

 ascended to the top of it, and as it is the highest 

 ground in the neighborhood, its summit, which is 

 aboul five hundred feet above the water, commands 

 an extensive view. 



Abiiteho, who was lare with his family, pointed 

 out to ns the Bmoke of the distant fires which the 

 hunters had made. The prospect from the hill is 

 : My diversified by ao intermixture of bill and 



valley, and the appearance of twelve lakes in different 



