UP-STREAM BY CANOE TO CHIPEWYAN 305 



ing." It was a much better boat than Beaulieu could 

 have built, and I was disposed to forgive his neglect. 



It rained all that night, but the next morning opened 

 clear, and we finally got under way at eight o'clock. I had 

 endeavored to get started at four, but though we were all 

 up and doing at that hour, it was impossible to get the 

 men into the canoe. It is always so ; nothing is so diffi- 

 cult as to get the half-breeds away from a post at an early 

 hour, no matter what time preparations are begun ; there 

 is always so much hand-shaking and other ceremony pre- 

 liminary to starting on a trip. 



The current of Slave River was not nearly so swift as 

 that of Buffalo River, but it was swift enough to make 

 paddling with a heavy dugout, despite its narrow beam, 

 exceedingly hard work. 



I found, after I got started, my men were not very 

 capable. Their experience had evidently been limited, 

 for they knew little of camping. 



We were not very fortunate in weather, encountering 

 head-winds nearly the entire distance. Once for part of a 

 day we had a fair wind, and then we rigged up a pole and 

 spread a blanket on it that helped us along considerably. 

 Several times we came very near being swamped in pass- 

 ing under the huge, overhanging banks of ice that some- 

 times broke off uncomfortably near us. Had one broken 

 off just as we were underneath, we should very likely have 

 heard "something drop." At other times we were nearly 

 swamped by the rough water, as our dugout had not over 

 six inches of free-board; frequently also we were kept 

 busy bailing. As it was, I had everything tied to the 

 crossbars, so that in case we upset I should not lose the 

 trinkets of the country and my camera-plates I was bring- 

 ing out to illustrate this book. 



We encountered floating trees and a good bit of ice 



