164 Thirty Years 
men cheerfully dragged the additional weight. Akait- 
cho, judging from the appearance of the meat, thought 
it had been placed here three days ago, and that the- 
hunters were considerably in advance. We put up at 
six P.M., near the end of the lake, having come twelve 
miles and three-quarters, and found the channel open 
by which it is connected with the Rock-nest Lake. A 
river was pointed out, bearing south from our encamp- 
ment, which is said to rise near Great Marten Lake. 
Red-rock Lake is in general narrow, its shelving banks 
are well clothed with wood, and even the hills, which 
attain an elevation of four hundred or five hundred » 
feet, are ornamented, half way up, with stunted 
pines, 
On June 30, the men having gummed the canoes, 
embarked with their burdens to descend the river; 
but we accompanied the Indians about five miles 
across a neck of land, when we also embarked. The 
river was about two hundred yards wide, and its 
course being uninterrupted, we cherished a sangaine 
hdpe of now getting on more speedily, until we per- 
ceived that the waters of Rock-nest Lake were still 
bound by ice, and that recourse must again be had 
to the sledges. The ice was much decayed, and we 
were exposed to great risk of breaking through in 
making the traverse. In one part we had to cross an 
open channel in the canoes, and in another were com- 
