48 ON THE GREAT CHURCHILL RIVER 



end of the portage path, which was but a faint, 

 almost invisible passage down the forested shore, 

 used once a year, perhaps, in this thinly popu- 

 lated, almost depopulated land, by some three 

 dozen Indians journeying to the rendezvous of 

 the official Treaty Party at lie a la Crosse to 

 draw Treaty money, and hold a big powwow. 



The following morning we resumed our journey 

 and were soon to learn that we had rapids and 

 typical hard river voyaging to contend with. 

 During the morning we encountered three rapids. 

 The first we ran, and shortly after leaving it 

 behind we passed, on the north shore, the sand- 

 bars which lie at the mouth of the Mudjatick 

 River. The Mudjatick, or Bad Caribou River, 

 noteworthy because it affords a possible pass- 

 age, | though a hard one, to Lake Athabasca, 

 rises in the height of land north of latitude 57° 

 and flows south about eighty miles in a shallow 

 winding channel before it joins into the Churchill 

 River. Thereafter followed other two rapids 

 both too dangerous to run, so at each we let the 

 canoe down the less turbulent water close in to the 

 south shore : a process we accomplished by wad- 

 ing hip-deep, at bow and stern of the canoe, over 

 the uneven, bouldered, hole-dented bed of the 

 stream ; leading the canoe slowly and laboriously 

 downstream, holding against the rude strength 

 of the downpouring passing current. 



About midday, after a strenuous morning, Joe 

 and I landed. I had secured three museum 

 specimens and nine mallards' eggs en route. 

 We lunched on the eggs — finishing the lot at a 

 sitting. I assure you that if one works hard one 



