160 Thirty Years 



June 25. — The wind having abated during the night, 

 we prepared for starting at an early hour. The three 

 canoes were mounted on sledges, and nine men were 

 appointed to conduct them, having the assistance of 

 two dogs to each canoe. The stores and provisions 

 were distributed equally among the rest of our men, 

 except a few small articles which the Indians carried. 

 The provision consisted of only two bags of pemmi- 

 can, two of pounded meat, five of suet, and two small 

 bundles of dried provision, together with fresh meat 

 sufficient for our supper at night. It was gratifying 

 to witness the readiness with which the men prepared 

 for and commenced the journey, which promised to 

 be so very laborious, as each of them had to drag 

 upwards of one hundred and eighty pounds on his 

 sledge. 



Our course led down the main channel of the lake, 

 which varied in breadth from half a mile to three 

 mi^s ; but we proceeded at a slow pace, as the snow 

 whirl) fell last night, and still lay 'on the lake, very 

 much impeded the sledges. Many extensive anus 

 branched oil' on the north side of this channel, and it 

 was bounded on the south by a chain of lofty islands. 

 The hills on both Bides rose to the heighl of six hun- 

 dred or Beven hundred feet, and high steep cliffs arc 

 Dumerons. Clusters of pines were occasionally 



in the valleys. We put up, at eight 1 MM -, in a snot 



