NORTHERN OCEAN 117 



whole dependance on that article, as it has too frequently 1771. 

 been the means of many hundreds being starved to-^'^"^"^'^* 

 death. 



By the twenty-third, deer were so plentiful • that the 23d, 

 Indians seemed to think that, unless the season, contrary to 

 expectation and general experience, should prove unfavourable, 

 there would be no fear of our being in want of [75] pro- 

 visions during the rest of the Winter, as deer had always 

 been known to be in great plenty in the direction which 

 they intended to walk. 



On the third of February, we continued our course to the February. 

 West by North and West North West,^ and were so near ^ 

 the edge of the woods, that the barren ground was in sight 

 to the Northward. As the woods trended away to the West, 

 we were obliged to alter our course to West by South, for 

 the sake of keeping among them, as well as the deer. In the 

 course of this day's walk we saw several strangers, some of 

 whom remained in our company, while others went on their 

 respective ways. 



On the sixth, we crossed the main branch of Cathawhachaga 6th. 

 River ; ^ which, at that part, is about three quarters of a mile 

 broad ; and after walking three miles farther, came to the 



[^ Between Island Lake and the Cathawhachaga River, the map indicates 

 that he crossed Fatt Lake, which is probably the lake now known to the 

 Indians of Reindeer Lake as Twal-kai-tua or Fat-fish Lake, and said by them 

 to lie east of Kasba Lake, though its exact position has not been determined. 

 On the Pennant and Mackenzie maps it is called Wiethen Lake.] 



[* The Cathawhachaga or Kazan River would appear to have been crossed 

 about five miles below where it leaves Kasba Lake, as it is here about a quarter 

 of a mile wide, while between this place and the lake it is for the most part 

 a swift stream varying from one to three hundred yards in width. His 

 crossing- place would therefore be in latitude 60° 37' N., while his own latitude 

 for the crossing-place, as given on his map, is 61° 32' N., which would be far 

 out on the barren lands, beyond the northern limit of the woods. Thus, almost 

 as soon as he left the track followed by him on his former journey, his surveys 

 become very inaccurate. This is so much at variance with the approximate 

 accuracy of his surveys on his second journey, that either the Elton quadrant 

 carried by him was quite useless, or else he did not make use of it at all.] 



