130 Thirty Years 



P. M. and crossed two lakes and two portages. The 

 last of these was two thousand and sixty-six paces 

 long, and very rugged, so that the men were much 

 fatigued. On the next day we received the flesh of 

 four reindeer by the small canoe which had been sent 

 for it yesterday, and heard that the hunters had kill- 

 ed several more deer on our route. We saw many of 

 those animals as we passed along to-day ; and our 

 companions, delighted with the prospect of having 

 food in abundance, now began to accompany their pad- 

 dling with singing, which they had discontinued ever 

 since our provisions became scarce. 



Aug. 19. — After crossing a portage of five hundred 

 and ninety-five paces, a small lake and another portage 

 of two thousand paces, which occupied the crews seven 

 hours, we embarked on a small stream, running to- 

 wards the north-west, which carried us to the lake, 

 where Akaitcho proposed that we Bhould pass thewin- 

 ter. The officers ascended several of the loftiesl bills 

 in tlic course of the day, prompted by a natural 

 anxiety to examines the spot which was to be their 

 residence for many months. The prospect, however, 

 was not then the most agreeable, as (he borders of 



the lake seemed to he scantily furnished with wood, 



and that of a kind too small for the purposes ot 

 building. 



We perceived the smoke of a distant fin whicb tin; 



