274 Thirty Years 



assured that the observation had enabled us to disco- 

 ver our exact distance from Fort Enterprize, they 

 could not divest themselves of the idea of our having 

 lost our way, and a gloom was spread over every coun- 

 tenance. At 4his encampment Dr. Richardson was 

 obliged to deposit his specimens of plants and minerals, 

 collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them 

 any further. The way made to-day was five miles 

 and a quarter. 



Sept. 22. — After walking about two miles this morn- 

 ing, we came upon the borders of a large lake, whose 

 extremities could not be discerned in consequence of 

 the density of the atmosphere ; but as its shores seem- 

 ed to approach nearer to each other to the southward 

 than to the northward, we determined on tracing it 

 in that direction. We were grieved at finding the 

 lake expand very much beyond the contracted part we 

 had first seen, and incline now to the cast ward of 

 south. As it was considered more than probable, from 

 the direction and size of the body of water we were 

 now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake ; and 

 as, in any case, we knew that by passing round its 

 south end, we must shortly come to the Copper-Mine 

 River, our course was continued in that direction. 

 The appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, lar- 

 ger than usual, induced us (o suppose the river was 



near. We encamped early, having c ■ eighl miles. 



