NORTHERN OCEAN 151 



Lake ^ were the principal. We also crossed a few inconsiderable 1771. 

 creeks and rivers," which were only useful as they furnished a-*^"^' 

 small supply of fish to the natives. The weather, as I have before 

 observed, was in general disagreeable, with a great deal of rain 

 and snow. To make up for that inconvenience, however, the 

 deer were so plentiful, that the Indians killed not only a 

 sufficient quantity for our daily support, but frequently great 

 numbers merely for the fat, marrow and tongues. To induce 

 them to desist from this practice, I often interested myself, 

 and endeavoured, as much as possible, to convince them in the 

 clearest terms of which I was master, of the great impropriety 

 of such waste ; particularly at a time of the year when their 

 skins could not be of any use for clothing, and when the 

 anxiety to proceed on our journey would not permit us to 

 stay long enough in one place to eat up half the spoils of 

 their hunting. As national customs, however, are not easily 

 [118] overcome, my remonstrances proved ineffectual; and I 



becomes very inaccurate, and his distances are greatly exaggerated from this 

 point to the mouth of the Coppermine River, during the time when the party 

 was hurrying, with the lightest equipment possible, across the barren lands. 

 The first lake crossed is said to have been Thoy-noy-kyed Lake, which is 

 identified by Sir John Richardson as Tha-na-koi or Sand Hill Mount or Aylmer 

 Lake. This lake is placed by Hearne about seventy-five miles from Cat (Clinton- 

 Colden) Lake, while actually it is only a verj' few miles from it, forming, with 

 it, but one body of water with a rapid between them. On the Cook map it 

 is shown as having its discharge in a stream flowing south-westward into the 

 east end of Great Slave Lake. If his Cat Lake should prove to be Walmsley 

 Lake his distances would not be quite so inaccurate, for Walmsley and Aylmer 

 Lakes are about fifty miles apart.] 



[' Thoy-coy-lyned Lake has not been definitely located, and as there are 

 very many lakes still unknown in that countr)-, there is little use in making a 

 guess at its position. Between it and Cogead Lake, the women of the party 

 were all left behind at a point which he places in latitude 67° 30', but which 

 must have been much farther south, as we shall see.] 



[* One of these streams, just north of Thoy-coy-lyned Lake, is called on 

 the map Thlewey-chuck, which means Great-fish River. This can hardly be 

 the Great Fish River which rises in Sussex Lake and empties into the Arctic 

 Ocean south of King William Island, but it may be a river mentioned by 

 Petitot under the name Due'tchor des fchege, which is said by him to flow south- 

 ward into Great Slave Lake. Or it may be some other stream known by the 

 same name to the Chipewyan Indians.] 



