APPROACHING CIVILISATION 209 



January 8. — Two hours before daylight we left 

 the Cree settlement and travelled overland the 

 greater part of the day, thus avoiding the indirect 

 course of the Sturgeonweir River, which we did 

 not again come out on, until late afternoon, 

 when we followed its course until after dark, 

 to camp finally on the north shore of Beaver 

 Lake. 



I might here note, since we are travelling longer 

 hours to accomplish a full day's run, that the 

 dog-trains of the Indians now with me are a very 

 mixed lot in breed, and of diminutive size ; and 

 far below the standard of the stalwart Du Brochet 

 huskies. It is but another omen of approaching 

 civilisation ; and, had I wanted further evidence, 

 I saw to-day, on passing some cabins, a cow — 

 which, without mistake, brings one near to the old 

 familiar world. 



January 9. — We passed through Beaver Lake 

 when setting out this morning ; a lake where 

 gold was discovered late last Fall, but which, I 

 learned at Pelican Narrows, had not so far realised 

 the great things that were hoped for by those who 

 rushed to the claims. Nevertheless shacks had 

 sprung into being, and those and other signs of 

 human occupation invested the lake, even in the 

 dead of winter. And it was here that a husky 

 in John's train, the only pure looking dog in the 

 lot, grew wildly excited as we passed a horse-sled, 

 and strained on the traces to give chase, apparently 

 mistaking the horses for deer. I asked John 

 where the dog had come from, and he replied 

 " Patatawogan," a post on the Lower Churchill 

 River, where Caribou frequent. The dog was a 



