In the Arctic Regions. 267 
amongst the rocky islets, with a rapidity that seemed 
to threaten certain destruction ; once, indeed, I fan- 
cied that I saw it overwhelmed in the waves. Such 
an event would have been fatal to the whole’ party. 
Separated as I was from my companions, without gun, 
ammunition, hatchet, or the means of making a fire, 
and in wet clothes, my doom would have been speedily 
sealed. My companions too, driven to the necessity 
of coasting the lake, must have sunk under the fatigue 
of rounding its innumerable arms and bays, which, as 
we have learned from the Indians, are very extensive. 
By the goodness of Providence, however, we were 
spared at that time, and some of us have been permit- 
ted to offer up our thanksgivings, in a civilized land, 
for the signal deliverances we then and afterwards ex- 
perienced. 
By this accident I had the misfortune to loose my 
port-folio, containing my journal from Fort Enterprize, 
together with-all the astronomical and meteorological 
observations made during the descent of the Copper-. 
Mine River, and along the sea coast, (except those for 
the dip and variation.) -I was in the habit of carry- 
ing it strapped across my shoulders, but had taken it 
off on entering the canoe, to reduce the upper weight. 
The results of most of the observations for latitude 
and longitude had been registered in the sketch books, 
so that we preserved the requisites for the construc- 
