NORTHERN OCEAN 269 



others of less note, which empty themselves into the great 1772. 

 Athapuscow Lake : There are also several small rivers and 

 creeks on the North East side of the Lake that carry off 

 the superfluous waters, some of which, after a variety of 

 windings through the barren grounds to the North of 

 Churchill River, are lost in the marshes and low grounds, 

 while others, by means of many small channels and rivulets, 

 are discharged into other rivers and lakes, and at last, doubt- 

 less, find their way into Hudson's Bay. These rivers, though 

 numberless, are all so full of shoals and stones, as not to be 

 navigable for an Indian canoe to any considerable distance ; 

 and if they were, it would be of little or no use to the natives, 

 as none of them lead within several hundred miles of Churchill 

 River. 



[270] Agreeably to Matonabbee's proposal, we continued our 

 course up the Athapuscow River for many days, and though 

 we passed several parts which we well knew to have been the 

 former Winter - haunts of the Athapuscov/ Indians, yet we 

 could not see the least trace of any of them having been there 

 that season. In the preceding Summer, when they were in 

 those parts, they had set fire to the woods ; and though many 

 months had elapsed from that time till our arrival there, and 

 notwithstanding the snow was then very deep, the moss was 

 still burning in many places, which at first deceived us very 

 much, as we took it for the smoke of strange tents ; but after 

 going much out of our way, and searching very diligently, we 

 could not discover the least track of a stranger. 



Thus disappointed in our expectations of meeting the 

 Southern Indians, it was resolved (in Council, as it may be 

 called) to expend as much time in hunting buffalo, moose, 

 and beaver as we could, so that we might be able to reach 

 Prince of Wales's Fort a little before the usual time of the 

 ships arrival from England. Accordingly, after having walked 

 upwards of forty miles by the side of Athapuscow River, on 

 the twenty-seventh of January we struck off to the East- 27th. 



