266 



THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



Ste, 



o 



What a delight it was to feel our canoe skimming 

 along under the four paddles. Three times as fast we 

 travelled now as when we came out with the bigger 

 boat; 5 miles an hour was frequently our rate and 



when we camped that 

 night we had covered 

 47 miles since dawn. 

 n Kahdinouay 

 we camped and again 

 a storm arose to 

 pound and bluster 

 all night. In spite of 

 a choppy sea next 

 day we reached the 

 last small island be- 

 fore the final cross- 

 ing; and here, per- 

 force, we stayed to await a calmer sea. Later we 

 heard that during this very storm a canoe-load of 

 Indians attempted the crossing and upset; none were 

 swimmers, all were drowned. 



We were not the only migrants hurrying southward. 

 Here for the first time hi my life I saw Wild Swans, six 

 in a flock. They were heading southward and flew 

 not in very orderly array, but ever changing, occasion- 

 ally forming the triangle after the manner of Geese. 

 They differ from Geese in flapping more slowly, from 

 White Cranes in flapping faster, and seemed to vibrate 

 only the tips of the wings. This was on the 23d. Next 

 day we saw another flock of seven; I suppose that in 

 each case it was the old one and young of the year. 



Plan of old Fort Reliance 



