274 Thirty Years 
assured that the observation had enabled us to disco- 
ver our exact distance from Fort Enterprize, they 
could not divest themselves of the idea of our having 
lost our way, and a gloom was spread over every coun- 
tenance. At this encampment Dr. Richardson was 
obliged to deposit his specimens of plants and minerals, 
collected on the sea-coast, being unable to carry them 
any further. The way made to-day was five miles 
and a quarter. 
Sept. 22.—After walking about two miles this morn- 
ing, we came upon the borders of a large lake, whose 
extremities could not be discerned in consequence of 
the density of the atmosphere ; but as its shores seem- 
ed. to approach nearer to each other to the southward 
than to the northward; we determined on tracing it 
in that direction. We were grieved at finding the 
lake expand very much beyond the contracted part we 
had first seen, and incline now to the eastward of 
south, ‘As it was considered more than probable, from 
the direction and size of the body of water we were 
now tracing, that it was a branch of Point Lake’; and 
as, in any case, we knew that by passing round its 
south end, we must shortly come to the Copper-Mine 
River, our course was continued in that direction. 
The appearance of some dwarf pines and willows, lar- 
ger than usual, induced us to suppose the river was 
near. We encamped early, having come eight miles. 
