230 THE ARCTIC PRAIRIES 



why, isn't this Lockhart's River, at the western extrem- 

 ity of Aylmer Lake?" The truth was dawning on me. 



He also had been getting light and slowly replied: 

 "I have forty-nine reasons why it is, and none at all 

 why it isn't." 



There could be no doubt of it now. The great open 

 sea of Aylmer was a myth. Back never saw it; he 

 passed in a fog, and put down with a query the vague 

 information given him by the Indians. This little 

 irregular lake, much like Clinton-Colden, was Aylmer. 

 We had covered its length and were now at its farthest 

 western end, at the mouth of Lockhart's River. 



How I did wish that explorers would post up the 

 names of the streets ; it is almost as bad as in New York 

 City. What a lot of time we might have saved had 

 we known that Sandy Bay was in Back's three-fingered 

 peninsula! Resolving to set a good example I left a 

 monument at the mouth of the river. The kind of 

 stone made it easy to form a cross on top. This will 

 protect it from wandering Indians; I do not know 

 of anything that will protect it from wandering white 

 men. 



Near mouth of Lockhart River 



