In the Arctic Regions, . 165 
pelled to quit the lake, and make a portage along the 
land. When the party had got upon the ice again, 
our guide evinced much uncertainty as to the route. 
He first directed us towards the west end of the lake ; 
but when we had nearly gained that point, he discov- 
ered a remarkable rock to the north-east, named by 
the Indians the Rock-nest, and then recollected that 
the River ran at its base. Our course was immediate- 
ly changed to that direction, but the traverse we had 
then to make was more dangerous than the former one. 
The ice cracked under us at every step, and the party 
-were obliged to separate themselves widely to prevent 
accidents, _We landed at the first point we could ap- 
proach, but having found an open channel close to the 
shore, we were obliged to ferry the goods across on 
pieces of ice. The fresh meat being expended, we had 
to make another inroad on our pounded meat. The 
evening was very warm, and the musquitoes numerous, 
A large fire was made to apprise the hunters of our 
advance. The scenery of Rock-nest Lake is pictu- 
resque, its shores are rather low, except at the Rock’s- 
nest, and two or three eminences on the eastern side. 
The only wood is the pine, which is twenty or thirty 
feet high, and about one foot in diameter. Our dis- 
tance to-day was six miles, 
July 1.—Our guide directed us to ee towards 
a deep bay on the north side of the lake, where he 
. 
