62 A JOURNEY TO THE 



1769. [2] The weather at that time being very mild, made it 



■ but indifferent hauling/'^ and all my crew being heavy laden, 

 occasioned us to make but short journeys ; however, on the 

 8th, eighth, we crossed the North branch of Po-co-ree-kis-co River,^ 

 and that night put up in a small tuft of woods, which is 

 between it and Seal River. In the night, one of the Northern 

 Indians deserted ; and as all the rest of my crew were heavy 

 laden, I was under the necessity of hauling the sledge he had 

 left, which however was not very heavy, as it scarcely exceeded 

 sixty pounds. 



The weather still continued very fine and pleasant : we 

 directed our course to the West North West, and early in the 

 9th. day crossed Seal River. In the course of this day's journey 

 we met several Northern Indians, who were going to the 

 factory with furs and venison ; and as we had not killed any 

 deer from our leaving the Fort, I got several joints of venison 

 from those strangers, and gave them a note on the Governor 

 for payment, which seemed perfectly agreeable to all parties. 



When on the North West side of Seal River, I asked 

 Captain Chawchinahaw the distance, and probable time it 

 would take, before we could reach the main woods ; which 

 he assured me would not exceed four or five days journey. 

 This put both me and my companions in good [3] spirits, and 

 we continued our course between the West by North and North 

 West, in daily expectation of arriving at those woods, which 

 we were told would furnish us with every thing the country 

 affords. These accounts were so far from being true, that 

 after we had walked double the time here mentioned, no signs 

 of woods were to be seen in the direction we were then steer- 



* The colder the weather is, the easier the sledges slide over the 

 snow. 



[^ On modern maps this stream is known as Pauk-athakuskow River. The 

 Chipewyan Indians of Fort Churchill and vicinity know it by the name of 

 Beskai dez^ or Knife River, while the white people at Churchill know it as 

 North River. Churchill River is called by the Chipewyans 'Tsan ddze, 

 meaning Iron or Metal River.] 



